Documentary
by FragilePuzzle
Summary: Roger gets Matt a camcorder for Christmas, and he and Mello decide to document their lives at Wammy's house. A year after the first of the tapes are made, L gets his hands on them and realizes that things at Wammy's are not as that they seem. Eventual MMN
1. Hello

It was an average day for the Japanese task force. There had been no new revelations, no new evidence, and no exciting news. Just the same old thing. Kira was still killing criminals, L still wasn't any closer to figuring out who Kira was, and this supposedly "epic" battle had come to a grinding halt, and they were now chipping away at the case; at about snail's pace. All in all, it was a very boring day.

L was just sitting in his chair in his abnormal way, his knees pulled up to his chest, perched on the very edge of the seat, yet maintaining perfect balance. He looked out from under his messy raven-colored hair, and his eyes with dark bags under them never seemed to blink. He chewed on his thumbnail and watched the surveillance tape that was playing on a loop. After it started for the 17th time, Light sighed in exhaustion. He hated being chained to L.

Just then, as if on cue, Watari came in, carrying what looked like a very heavy box of tapes, the kind you would put in a camcorder. Or…Light internally groaned…more surveillance tapes. However, L looked up at Watari questioningly when he plopped the box down on the table.

"What are those, Watari?" he asked, his eyes scanning the box's contents.

"I have just visited the orphanage, and Roger said he found these in Matt's closet. I do not believe Matt knows that I have taken them," said the older gentleman.

"And what of it? Why did you take them?" L questioned.

"I think you should watch them and find out for yourself."

The whole taskforce, Light especially, looked up hopefully.

"I do not see how now is the appropriate time to be watching tapes from Wammy's house—"

L was cut off by Matsuda, who begged him to put in the tapes. L reluctantly picked one up between his thumb and forefinger, in that weird way of his. It was plain black except for a sticker with the word "one" on the front. He pushed it in to the tape player, and the video feed popped up onto the biggest screen in the room.

"Hey Matt! Is it recording?" asked a blonde boy dressed in all black. He was munching on a chocolate bar, and his bright blue eyes sparkled happily. The video was obviously homemade, and the picture quality wasn't at its best, but you could still see everything clearly.

"Yeah Mels, it's on," said the boy behind the camera.

"Okay! It's Christmas day, and Roger got Matt a camcorder for Christmas, so we're gonna make an awesome documentary! For anyone who doesn't know about us, we're Wammy kids. We live at Wammy's orphanage, the best orphanage in the world. It's where genius kids go to be raised to become the next L. L is so cool! One day, I'm gonna be L!" he said, thrusting his clenched fist into the air. He let this out all in one breath, and seemed like he was going to say more, but was interrupted by his friend behind the camera.

"Hey Mels, can you hold the camera for a second?"

"Sure, sure,"

The picture shook as the camera was passed to the blonde, and his friend, a redhead with goggles and a striped shirt, ran down a nearby hallway. He came back a few moments later with a shiny new tripod, grinning and waving at the camera. He was going to set it up, but the blonde stopped him.

"Let's go somewhere first."

He handed the camera back to his friend, and the two walked down many winding hallways until they reached a pure white door. The blonde opened it, and when Matt pointed the camera into the room, all you could see was light and a slight blemish in the middle of the room. Milliseconds later, the camera adjusted itself, and you could see a petite boy sitting in the middle of the room that was flooded with mid-afternoon light.

The boy was sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, holding a leg to his chest and curling a lock of snowy white hair around his index finger. He looked like an angel. He had pure white hair, china doll skin, and was dressed in baggy white pajamas. What looked to be a 10,000-piece puzzle was sitting in front of him, and he nodded to acknowledge that the two other boys had entered the room. Grey eyes scanned the pile of pieces that were sitting next to him, and his thin fingers skillfully picked up a piece and set it exactly where it was supposed to go.

"Hey Near!" said Matt.

"You're such a fuckin dweeb. Why are you in here doing a puzzle instead of being outside?" Mello said haughtily.

"Hello, Matt. Mello," he said quietly, seemingly blowing off Mello's earlier insults. His voice was very light, and had an almost feminine-like quality to it. Everything about the boy was feminine actually, from his small frame to his light pinkish-red lips.

"Hey Near, guess what?" asked the blonde named Mello, forgetting that his earlier comment had been blown off.

"I am going to guess that Roger got either you or Matt a camcorder?" he said.

"Yup. And guess what else?" Matt said.

"You are making a documentary of some sort?"

"Yeah, yeah, know-it-all. Lucky guess. Anyway, Matt's making me let you be in it too," sighed Mello.

"Please, Near?" Matt begged with big puppy-eyes.

"Very well. What is it that I am supposed to do?"

"Will you come play outside with us? Even though it's snowing, it's not supposed to be that cold," Matt said.

"I am not comfortable with going outside in this cold weather, thank you—"

Mello, who had stormed across the room and grabbed the smaller boy's wrist-- yanking him out of his sitting position-- cut him off.

"Look. If Matt wants you to come outside, you're gonna come outside, kapiche?"

Near just tried to free his hand, but to no avail. Mello was much stronger than him and jerked him across the room, over to the door.

"Mello, if he doesn't want to—"

"He wants to damnit!"

Near just kept continuing to struggle, not making any noises. It was obvious he didn't want to go outside.

"Just—come—quietly!" Mello said, dragging him down the hallway. "If you don't, I'll be forced to carry you there, got it?"

Near, thinking Mello's threat to be empty, continued to try and break free. Finally, Mello scooped up the boy bridal-style, and began to carry him.

"M-Mello," he said. "Put me down."

"No," he said, stumbling a bit.

"You're going to drop me!" said Near, wrapping his arms around Mello's neck.

"Let go of me!"

"No!"

"Don't touch me you social retard!"

"You'll drop me if I let go!"

"No I won't, now let go!"

The two continued to argue, Matt quietly laughing the whole way. That is, until Mello tripped over a toy some child had left in the hallway. Normally, Mello would have been able to recover easily, but when you have an extra 70 pounds on your chest, it's not as simple. He tripped, bringing Near down with him and as they landed, Near's lips met Mello's. Matt quickly focused the camera on the two kissing. Near looked kind of stunned for a moment, but then it seemed like he…enjoyed it? Mello's eyes widened and he quickly pulled away, a trail of salvia connecting their mouths.

"Oh my god!" spat Mello, wiping his mouth off. "My tongue went in your MOUTH!"

The camera was shaking with Matt's silent laughter.

"It was not my fault. If you had just let me—"

He was stopped again by Mello's death glare. Mello was now wiping off his tongue on his shirtsleeve and spitting all over the floor.

"Man…I can't believe my first kiss was NEAR!"

"Dude," said Matt. "You're HOW old and you still haven't had your first kiss?"

"Having a first kiss at thirteen is nothing to be ashamed of," said Near. "I am thirteen and that was my first kiss as well."

"That's no surprise," said Mello quietly.

By this time, Matt couldn't hold in his laughter anymore.

"You guys—" he gasped. "Lost your first kiss on each other?!?"

"S-shut up Matt," said Mello.

"I really don't see—" Near started

Mello just gave them both death glares and they stopped talking.

"Turn that damn thing off."

Matt made a whiny noise, but proceeded to flick the off switch.

The tape went black, and the whole taskforce looked at L.

"Who WERE those kids anyway?" asked Light.

"Are they your secret… lovechildren?" Matsuda asked.

Everybody in the room stared at Matsuda. He just shrugged and sat back down. L was about to say something when the tape started up again.


	2. Night

A/N: Umm, sorry L fans, but in this story, he's kind of a douche. That's the kind of story it is, so I don't mean to offend you. Don't get me wrong, he was my first favorite, but the story is kind of based around him being an asshole. The thing is, regarding how he treated the orphans, you don't really know if he's OOC or not, but my guess is that I made everybody OOC. But anyway, thank you my reviewers! If you read, PLEASE, PLEASE REVIEW! Even if it's just a 5-word review saying how much it sucks, it makes me happy. Thank you again for reading my story 3

Side note: This story doesn't follow the timeline at all. It takes place during the part Light and L are chained together, but Mello, Near and Matt are supposed to be around 13-ish. Also, expect plenty of random outbursts from the taskforce members, and plenty of awkward situations ;) Not so much in this chappie, because it's supposed to be a serious turning point in the three's relationship, and in Near's attitude, but soon…

IMPORTANT NOTE: This fic (From L's POV) takes place a few days before Christmas, so it's almost been a year since the first of the tapes were made.

As the tape started back up again, everybody in the taskforce turned their attention back to the tape. The date in the corner told that it was New Years Eve day. It looked to be about midday, and the feed showed that the kids were outside.

"Mel-lo-yel-low!"

The blonde turned around and looked at his redheaded friend who was currently jumping up and down with excitement, making the camera shake.

"Guuuuuuuuueeeeeeeess what?!?!?"

"Talking to you is like talking to a little kid on a sugar rush. Whadda want?"

"You'll never guess!" Matt giggled.

"What?" said Mello exasperatedly. "Did you beat another level in Mario or something?"

"Noooooooo, even better!"

"Jesus Matt, spit it out."

Matt laughed again, the kind of laugh you make when you're so excited about something, you feel like you're going to burst.

"I'll give you a hint. It has to do with L."

Mello seemed to go deep into thought for a moment, and then his face lit up with happy realization.

"THAT'S RIGHT!!!" he yelled. "L IS COMING TODAY!"

Mello ran inside, Matt close behind. As Mello turned the corner, he slammed into Near, full force. Near was knocked down, but Mello just stumbled back a few paces, yelled "sorry!" and continued on his way. Near just looked stunned. Matt set the camera on a nearby windowsill and helped Near up.

"Did Mello just apologize to me?" asked the bewildered albino.

"I thought it was my ears screwing with me," replied Matt.

Near picked up his Optimus Prime robot and twirled his hair around his finger, glancing at the corridor that Mello ran down. Then he and Matt looked at each other, and decided they should follow Mello. Once they arrived at the room the blonde went into, Matt cautiously opened the door. One half of the room was all black. It was very neat and only had a bed, study desk, and a dresser. The other half of the room was an absolute mess. It had Halo 3 sheets on the bed, posters of Samus in a bikini on the wall, and cords running everywhere on the floor. The study desk had a computer and games all over it, and the floor was covered with dirty clothes.

"I take it that this room belongs to you and Mello?" Near asked.

"Yep."  
Mello was running all over his side, tossing things in the closet here, and dusting a little there. The blonde had his sleeves rolled up and his hair pulled back into a messy ponytail, and looked more like a girl than ever.

"Are you…cleaning?" asked Matt.

"Yeah! L is coming! Why wouldn't I?"

L suddenly had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"L is coming?" Near questioned.

"Yeah, he's coming for Near Years," Matt replied.

"Sound more excited! It's not every day you get to see L!" said Mello cheerily.

The blonde pulled out a box from under his bed. As he took the top off, you could see it was filled with chocolate bars.

"Very impressive Mello. I did not think that you were capable of saving this much chocolate, despite your ration of 5 bars a day. How ever did you do it?" Near said unemotionally. If you looked close enough, you could hear the tiniest hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"I'm not even going to take offense at that, Near. I'm too excited!"

"Do not misunderstand me Mello. I am excited as well. And…I apologize. I did not mean to be so tactless. Next time, I will… refrain from making such comments," said Near, coughing a bit, seemingly embarrassed.

Mello was too busy on his "L's coming" high to take much notice of Near's apology at the moment. It'd probably sink in later. But Matt on the other hand, he made little shocked noises. It was hard for L to believe as well. Mello and Near seemed to be getting along a little better, according to the tapes, but Roger never told him of any such improvement in their relationship. According to his recent reports, they were fighting as always. It seemed like this footage had taken place just last year (practically this year though, seeing as it was New Years Eve day in the tapes), so L wondered what was going on. However, he did not have too much time to ponder on this, as his attention was soon focused back on the tape.

"Okay!" said Mello. "I've got a chocolate bar for L, my room is clean, now all that's left to do is wait. He should be here any minute, so do the two of you want to wait outside with me?"

Near and Matt nodded, and they followed Mello outside. The three of them sat on the grass, right outside the gates so they could see the second a car pulled up. Near had his leg to his chest again, and was twirling his hair. However, he wasn't doing any sort of puzzle, or playing with a toy. He was just staring at Mello, who was bouncing up and down on the other side of the driveway that led to the orphanage. Near continued to stare, but Mello didn't notice, seeing as his eyes were glued on the road. Matt sighed and said he'd turn the camcorder back on when L got here. If he got here.

As soon as the screen went black, Matsuda spoke up.

"Well, it should be fun to see Ryuzaki outside of work, right?"

L felt even worse now. He remembered, he hadn't visited the orphanage that year.

Or the one before that.

Or the one before that.

He didn't even know what to say to Matsuda, but the tape restarting saved him. It was the same day; except for instead of it being mid-afternoon, it was almost past sunset. The three boys were still in the exact spots they were earlier, and Matt sighed again as he flicked the tape on. Mello however…what he was doing…

Every time a car would drive by, Mello would shoot out of his sitting position, look out the gates, and slouch back down when it was a Volvo instead of a limousine. He repeated this several times, and L guessed that was what he had been doing for the past several hours. As if L didn't feel bad enough already.

"Mello…" started Matt.

"I do not believe L is coming," finished Near quickly.

Mello just shot them both death glares, which seemed to be his specialty.

"He IS coming. He promised, remember? It wasn't like the time he missed my birthday, cause keep in mind, he said he had an important case that day! I bet he's just…running a little late," he said miserably.

"Mello. We have been sitting out here for 8 hours, 16 minutes, and 32 seconds. There has been no sign of him. Again, I do not believe he is coming," said Near. "Think rationally, Mello."

"SHUT UP OKAY! Nobody ASKED you to sit out here!" Mello yelled.

"I believe you did, Mello."

"Fuck off," he said, his eyes watering a bit.

"Very well. I will leave if you wish me to do so."

"Near, wait," said Mello, sounding annoyed with himself. "Look, you don't have to leave."

Near just plopped back down, going back to staring at the blonde. Light wondered if that was what he had been doing for the past 8 hours, 17 minutes, and 12 seconds.

"I have a suggestion," Near said softly.

"Yea, what is it?" asked Matt.

"We could…spend New Years Eve together."

"Spend New Years Eve? With You? Seriously?" Mello questioned disbelievingly.

"Yes, that was what I was suggesting."

"Sounds good!" Matt said. "I'll meet you guys on the roof in a little while, okay? We can watch the sunrise up there, and it's flat, so we won't have any problems with falling off or anything."

"Fine, fine. If Matt's going, I will too," Mello groaned. As the blonde turned to leave, Near stood up and grabbed his arm.

"Mello. May I talk to you for a moment? In private?" he asked, shooting both Matt and the camcorder a glance.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm goin," Matt said, walking away.

What Mello and Near didn't notice however, is that Matt didn't really leave. He just hid behind a tree, filming the whole thing. You couldn't hear anything but Matt's quiet breathing, but you could see Mello and Near perfectly. Near was curling his hair, and standing in that way of his that made him look like a cripple, while Mello was rooted in place, crossing his arms and glaring at Near. However, when Near whispered something in Mello's ear, and gently touched him on the arm, Mello uncrossed his arms and his look softened.

"Damnit," whispered Matt. "I can't hear what they're saying!"

After a few more minutes of just seeing their mouths move, Matt decided to give up and go inside.

"Forget it. There's not gonna be any yaoi. At least, not tonight."

The camcorder turned black again, but before Matsuda had time to ask what yaoi was, the tape started up again. This time, Matt was inside Wammy's, seemingly alone. He had a bag of food in one hand, and you could see boxes of sparklers sticking out of the top. L heard Watari "tsk, tsk" disapprovingly at the sparklers being in possession of a child, but the video continued on. Matt was running down the halls, the camera's tripod banging up against his leg. He ran up a flight of stairs, and arrived at a door that appeared to lead to the roof. He opened it as quietly as possible, and stuck the camcorder around the corner, to see if anybody was up there. Mello and Near were.

It looked like Near had fallen asleep, and the two of them were lying on a big comforter that looked like the one off of…Near's bed, maybe? Mello was stroking Near's hair, and staring at his sleeping face. He planted a light, butterfly kiss on the smaller boy's lips, but he still didn't wake. Mello sighed, ran his fingers through Near's hair again, and quickly scooted away.

Matt didn't want to embarrass his friend by letting him know he saw them, so he stomped his feet, suggesting somebody coming up the stairs, and flung the door open.

"Hey," he said, plopping down on the blanket next to Near. "Sorry I'm late."

"Naw, it's no problem. He's been sleeping ever since we got up here. Probably past his bedtime or something," Mello snorted.

"Hey. Isn't this the blanket off of his bed? Why would he bring it up here and put it on the dirty ground? I always thought he was a germaphobe." Matt said, patting the blanket that they were sitting on.

"Yeah, it's his. He was trying to drag it up the stairs, but he was too small, so I had to help him," Mello laughed again. "Hey Near, wake up."

Mello shook the smaller boy, who blinked a few times and stretched. He looked just like a baby kitten.

"I apologize for falling asleep. It is past my normal curfew."

Mello just gave the camera an "I-told-you-so" look.

Matt just said "No biggie" and started to set up the tripod. He clicked the camera into place, made sure it would capture everything, and then sat back down. He pulled out the food, but they pushed it to the side for now. Instead, Matt handed Mello and Near each a sparkler, and got one out for himself. Near just looked at the thin piece of metal strangely.

"Have you ever used a sparkler before?" asked Mello.

He shook his head "No" and continued to examine it, trying to figure out what it did. Mello just sighed, grabbed Near's small hand in his own, and dragged the tip of the sparkler across the hard roof. It immediately lit and began to shoot off bright, multicolored flickers, startling poor Near. He held it as far away from his body as possible, until Mello and Matt assured him it was safe. The two of them lit up their own, and showed Near how you could make neon-colored designs by waving the glimmering sticks in patterns against the night sky.

Much to L's surprise, they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Near was, for the first time, not completely sullen-looking. He wasn't smiling, but his eyes were happy. The three played with the sparklers until there were no more left, and by then, it was almost sunrise. Mello seemed to have forgotten all about L not coming. Instead, he was smiling and laughing with Near and Matt.

"Hey. It's almost sunrise. Lets make our New Years wishes, okay?" suggested Matt.

The other two nodded, and the three of them closed their eyes, mouthing their wishes. None would dare peek during this sacred moment.

I wish…we could stay like this. Just the three of us…forever…

I wish…he wouldn't hate me …

I wish…he wouldn't overlook me when his feelings are returned, like I know he will…

After they finished their wishes, they opened their eyes and just sat there. That is, until Matt spoke up.

"Soooooo…what were you guys talking about earlier? You know, that you had to be "alone" for?" he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Excuse me?" spat Mello. "That's none of your business!"

"Oh, so it was one of "those" talks. I see," he said jokingly.

"You are so dead by the time I count from three."

"Oh really?" said Matt.

"Three…"

"You're not scaring me."

"…Two…"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"…One…"

Mello mock-tackled Matt to the ground, and the two began to play fight. Near was just watching with an amused look on his face, but when Mello finally pinned Matt on his stomach, sitting on top of him, Near actually smiled. He looked adorable.

"I win again, Matt. Will you ever learn?" Mello said triumphantly.

However, Matt took this opportunity to throw Mello off him, and sit on his stomach.

"Will you ever learn not to underestimate me? You shouldn't let your guard down, blondie," he teased, flicking Mello on the forehead.

This caused Mello to go into a rage. He struggled and struggled, but Matt was bigger than him, so he couldn't get free. His face was beet red, and he still hadn't budged an inch. At seeing this spectacle, Near let out a small, childish giggle. Mello stopped struggling, and Matt turned his attention from Mello to Near at hearing this.

"Did you just…laugh?" Mello questioned.

"Sorry," he said, covering his mouth politely. "I did not mean to laugh at Mello's misfortune."

"No, it's not that. I've just…never heard you laugh before," said Mello, pushing Matt off his chest.

Mello whispered something in Matt's ear, but Near didn't notice. He was just sitting there, his bangs covering his eyes, staring at the ground. He didn't even notice when Matt snuck up behind him. Bun, within seconds, he was pinned to the ground and being tickled by the two other boys.

"S-stop!" he gasped between laughs. "I-I'm extremely—"

"Extremely what, Near?" snickered Mello.

"—Ticklish!"

His face was all red, and the color stood out against his pale skin. He continued to giggle hysterically until Mello and Matt finally stopped their relentless tickle-attack.

"You—guys—are—horrible!" he said, trying to catch his breath. It was obvious he didn't mean it though, seeing as he was still smiling.

"We know, we know," said Matt jokingly.

"Man, am I tired!" yawned Mello.

"That would be because it is 03:51:22," Near said.

"Aww, shuddup know-it-all," Mello said, falling backwards on to the blanket and closing his eyes.

Near lay down too, and immediately fell asleep. Matt pretended to be asleep so he could see what Mello would do when he thought no one was watching. Mello looked around, double-checked to make sure that both of them were asleep, and snuggled up next to Near. Now, Near was in between Matt and Mello, still sleeping soundly. Mello moved so close to him, their noses practically touched, and blonde hair met silvery-white. He lay like that for a while, just staring at Near's sleeping face, until his eyelids began to droop. He moved away from Near, so they wouldn't wake up and have an extremely awkward moment, and fell asleep. Matt then got up, waved a silent goodbye to the camcorder, and flipped the "off" switch.

However, this time, it appeared to be the end of the tape. L reached for the next one, but Light stopped him.

"Look, Ryuzaki, I think we all have some questions," he said, gesturing to the rest of the taskforce. "And we'd like you to answer them."

"Very well," said L uncomfortably. "Ask away."

"First of all, who are these children?" Light asked.

"They are my top three successors. Near is first, Mello is second, and Matt is third in line. Mello and Near compete all the time, or at least, that's what Roger told me. But, according to these tapes, they do not seem to have as fierce a rivalry as everybody thought them to."

"W-what are they to you?" asked Aizawa.

"What do you mean by that, Aizawa-san?"

" I mean, how important are they to you?"

Aizawa posed the question on everybody's mind. It had been a nagging thought ever since the beginning of the tape.

"I'm afraid I would not know how to answer that question."

CLIFFHANGAAAAAR! Or not :/ Okay, you MAY have thought that there was a bit of MattxMello in there, but I can assure you, there isn't (Or wasn't intended to be). Matt just cares for Mello like a best friend would. It's scary thinking about loosing your friend to someone else! TIS ALL! And I know Mello is supposed to be taller than Matt, but I always pictured Matt as one of those teenage boys who had a giant growth spurt right around 13, so he's super tall, and Mello catches up later. Anyway, review, review! Thank you for reading!

Mello: God, you're such a perverted fangirl!

FragilePuzzle: Why is that?

Mello: Why the HELL would I kiss Near when he's sleeping?!? Or even watch him for that matter. That's so Edward Cullen, it's scary!

FragilePuzzle: Because. I said you would.

Near: *walks over* Huh? What did I hear about Mello kissing me?

FragilePuzzle: Oh, just that—

Mello: Haha *laughs nervously* Nothing. Nothing at all.

Near: Are you sure about that?

Mello: Of course! Why would I kiss you anyway?

FragilePuzzle: Because. You love him.

Near: Really?

Mello: NO!

Matt: Yes you do.

Mello: No I don't!

FragilePuzzle: We all know you do Mello. Denial is unhealthy. Anyway, reviews encourage me to write faster! So please, click on that little button down there and tell me what you think!

~FragilePuzzle


	3. Dream

Umm…nothing much to say. Thank you to all my readers, especially those who review and favorite! This chapter should be a little less serious then the last two. Or not.

~FragilePuzzle

---

"I'm afraid I would not know how to answer that question."

This silenced the rest of the task force, and L quietly pushed the next tape in, chewing on his thumbnail so hard it bled. He managed to tear his eyes away from his bloodied thumb when the tape began again. The children were still on the roof, and it appeared to be morning. Near had started up the camcorder this time, probably grabbing a fresh tape from Matt's room. Mello and Matt were still asleep, lying on the blanket from Near's bed. Matt was huddled up in a ball, and Mello was lying sprawled out, the blanket barely covering him.

"Hello," Near whispered to the camera, as not to wake Mello and Matt.

The camera was still on the tripod, so Near sat back down, pulling a leg to his chest and twirling his hair.

"Well…I am not sure as to what I am supposed to do, but here goes."

Near started to talk to the camera, just like you would talk to a normal person. It seemed like he just had a lot to say, not really about anything particular, just talking in general. L figured that it was most likely easier for Near to talk to an inanimate object then it was a person, because he always had a problem with being social.

Near didn't even notice when Mello started to toss and turn about, getting twisted up in the blankets. He accidentally kicked Matt, which caused him to wake up.

"Ay, watch where you're kicking blondie," he muttered sleepily.

When he didn't get pummeled into the ground for calling Mello "Blondie," he figured the chocoholic must be asleep, so he sat up and waved to Near, who shyly waved back.

"Good morning, Matt."

"Hnnn…Near…" moaned Mello.

Both Near and Matt snapped their heads towards Mello. The blonde was flushed and tossing and turning in his sleep.

"Near…"

Near looked at Mello worriedly, wondering what was wrong with him. However, Matt didn't seem as concerned. He was just clutching his sides and silently laughing, as though he had gotten some sort of private joke.

"Poor kid…" said Aizawa, gesturing towards Mello.

Everybody else, except Matsuda, nodded in agreement. As the tape continued, Mello began to toss and turn more, his hair sticking to his sweaty face.

"Ahh…Near…it's not nice to tease…"

Matt rolled around on the roof, laughing and laughing, trying not to wake Mello. Near still looked confused as to what was happening, but then, Matsuda got it.

"OH!" he said. "He's—"

"Yes, Matsuda. We are aware of what is happening to Mello," L said.

"And Near is right there—Oh man!"

Everybody else just rolled their eyes and went back to the tape to see what would happen. With every word Mello would wantonly moan, Matt would laugh harder. Near just looked worried and made his way over to where Mello was sleeping.

"Mello?" he whispered. "Do you think we should get a nurse? Is he okay?"

Matt suddenly became serious. He stopped laughing and made his way over to Mello as well. Resting his hand on Mello's forehead, he nodded and looked at Near gravely.

"Near, there's only one way to fix this, and only you can do it."

"Why is it that only I can do it?" Near asked naively.

"Look, I know all about this, you'll have to trust me. Now, just follow my instructions and Mello will be fine in no time."

Near nodded his head and looked at Mello worriedly. Matt grinned and made sure the camcorder was recording, as he wanted to watch this in the hospital after Mello beat him bloody.

"Now, you need to lean down and put your mouth next to his ear…that's right…just a little closer…perfect!" he said as Near positioned his small pink lips so close to Mello's ear, it looked like he was kissing it.

"Now, you have to whisper a few things, and he should wake up. But, this is the only way, so you can't question me, okay?"

Near nodded, and awaited Matt's instructions. L had a bad feeling about this. Near might have been super-smart, but he was actually quite inexperienced when it came to anything outside of academics, and he didn't have any real-world experience whatsoever. He probably had no idea what was happening to Mello, nor did he know what Matt was going to make him do.

"Now, first whisper, "Mello…" really quietly."

"Mello…" Near whispered innocently. L actually facepalmed when Mello responded.

"Now, whisper, "Mello…please…take me now…" okay?" Matt instructed.

"Take me where?"

"Just trust me, remember?"

Near looked confused, but he said it. His lips brushed Mello's earlobe, and a lock of his silky white hair chafed Mello's cheek. L actually covered his eyes, because he didn't want to see what happened next. Mello awoke suddenly, shooting up and noticing Near.

"You're right Matt, it did work," said Near.

"What worked, Matt? Care to tell me, you little fuck?" Mello snarled.

"Unhhhh…Near…ahhhhhn…" Matt mocked. "You're so tight…"

Mello stood up and barreled towards Matt, who had already started running for the stairs. Near was left sitting all alone on the roof, wondering what had happened. However, you could hear the things Mello was screaming at Matt.

"You fuckin rat bastard! How—dare—you—make—him—do—that?!"

"Mello— OH JESUS GOD!! THAT AREA IS NOT MEANT TO BE STEPPED ON!"

"You motherfuckin son of a bitch! You—"

"I what? Interrupted your hot, steamy wet dream?" teased Matt.

"It was NOT a wet dream!"

"Uhhh, Near, I'm gonna come!"

"AHHHHHHH! I DIDN'T SAY THAT!" Mello screamed like a feral animal.

After about 5 minutes, Mello came back up the stairs, brushing off his hands and looking quite satisfied with himself. Two or three minutes later, Matt came slowly limping up the stairs, saying "Ow" with every step. Near looked at Matt worriedly, probably wondering where he got the giant bruises he was sporting.

"He's fine!" Mello assured Near, a big smile on his face. "Right Matt?"

With that, Mello walked over to Matt and gave him a big smack on the back, forcing him to stand up straight.

"Just—fine!" he squeaked. The taskforce could see him mouth, "Oh god my rib," but Near didn't seem to notice.

"Well, we should probably clean up…" Near said, gesturing to the mess that resided on the roof.

"Yeah, I guess," said Mello. "Matt, turn off the camcorder."

Matt hobbled over to the tripod, grimacing with every step. He was clutching his ribs, but smiling like he had just won the lottery.

"Man, even getting pushed down the stairs and being pounded by Mello was worth it," he muttered.

He waved goodbye, and flicked the off switch. The tape almost immediately started up again, and this time, Matt was behind the camera. Mello was knocking on a door impatiently and tapping his foot, waiting for the person on the other side to open it. He opened his mouth to yell something, but then the door slowly opened. Near was on the other side, in just his regular pajama top. The difference this time was that he had no pants on, and his pajama top was unbuttoned. His hair was disheveled, and it looked like he had just woken up.

"Open up, dork," Mello commanded.

"May I get dressed first?" he asked politely, not bothering to notice the fact that this was his room.

"No. Get the fuck out of the way."

Mello shoved open the door, making Near stumble back a few paces. The small boy blinked a few times, but proceeded to walk back over to his dresser and pick out some clothes. Mello just looked around his room, snapping off a piece of the chocolate bar he had in his hand.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Mello?" Near asked. "And Matt."

Mello just sneered and flopped down on Near's all white bed, which WAS perfectly crisp and clean, but was now in disarray. Near just gave Mello a disdainful look and proceeded to slide out of his pajama top, taking it off in favor of a new, clean, and exactly the same button-up from his dresser. Matt focused the camera on Near, who was facing the other way, but then Mello kicked his legs from out underneath him.

"Matt," he whispered violently. "Don't you DARE videotape him when he's getting changed!"

"Aww, but Mello, I knew you'd need something to jack off to—"

Matt didn't get to finish his sentence, as Mello kicked him sharply in the ribs, making him yelp in pain.

"AH, sonofaBITCH that hurt!"

Mello just smiled sweetly; letting his golden locks frame his face. He looked just like a little angel…until he flicked off the camera.

"Wanker…" Matt groaned.

"Keep taking and you won't have anything left to wank," Mello said, still smiling sweetly. "If you know what I mean."

"What are the two of you talking about?" Near asked, buttoning up his new top.

Mello just grinned at Near and said,

"You'll learn about it when you get older."

Near rolled his eyes and got out a pair of boxer shorts and some white pajama pants, intending to change into them.

"If you wouldn't mind…" he said, gesturing for them to get out or turn around.

"Is ickle Near embarrassed?" mocked Mello, grinning and turning around.

"I never suggested that I was uncomfortable. Is it no longer considered normal to want a degree of privacy?"

"C'mon, we're all boys here—"

"Don't turn around Mello, or your wet dreams will be forever haunted by the image of Near's—"

Matt was cut off again by Mello resting his foot on his…sensitive area, as he was still lying on the floor where Mello had kicked his legs out from underneath him.

"What. Did. I. Say?" Mello asked, not so sweet-looking this time.

"I'm sorry. I was just giving you some advice. I am your roommate you know, and I do hear some things. Come to think of it, the other night, I had to turn my bitpop up extra loud to drown out your moaning of, "Oh god, Nea—"

Mello stepped down, making Matt shriek.

"OKAY, JESUS MELS, I WANT TO HAVE CHILDREN SOMEDAY!"

"Keep talking and you won't live to see that day."

Near turned around and looked at the two, his boxers now on. He actually had very slender legs, and an overall lean figure. You would have never guessed it, as he was always wearing those giant clothes, but he didn't look as small when he wasn't drowning in pajama fabric.

"Mello, is there something in particular that you are staring at?"

Mello looked up, seemingly just realizing that he was staring at Near. He looked embarrassed for a second, but then he had to make a snide remark.

"As if there's anything to stare at."

Near stared at Mello for a moment, but then got what he was trying to say. He gave him a blank look, twirling his hair around his finger.

"Mello, is that really appropriate?"

This just caused Mello to laugh, but Near just pulled his pajama pants on.

"Now, is there a reason you came here?" asked Near.

"Yeah, but you have to come somewhere with us first okay?" Mello said.

"Where?"

"It's a secret!" Matt grinned.

The two grabbed his arms, hauling him out the room. Matt turned the camcorder off, and the taskforce was going to ask L some more questions, but the tape started up again.

---

I know, short chappie. But, short is better than none, right? Or not.

~FragilePuzzle


	4. Ice

Woo! Next chappie=here! I just want to take the time to thank, thank, and thank (!) all the people who read, favorite, watch, and especially review my stories. You guys have no idea how much it means to me! It's definitely what keeps me writing, and every review I get puts me on a high for the rest of the day. Thank you! Here we go…

---

The tape started up outside. The three boys were in a small clearing, one that L didn't recognize. There were tall pine trees everywhere, a frozen pond, and a small shed type-thing that was covered in the soft white snow. Mello pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the padlock on the shed while Matt brushed the snow off of the one window it had.

"Where are we?" Near asked as the padlock clicked open.

"It's our…" Matt started.

"Secret fort!" finished Mello. "Nobody knows it's here but the two of us, and now you. So don't tell anyone."

Near nodded, and the two boys quickly rushed him inside, Mello slamming the door shut when another freezing windstorm blew. Near looked around, and saw five of six pairs of ice skates, squirt guns, sleds, a baseball and bat…pretty much any kind of outdoor toy for every season. Looking around, he also noticed a pink stuffed bunny with floppy ears and a bow around its wrist.

"Isn't that mine?" Near asked, gesturing to the stuffed bunny that resided on one of the shelves.

"Umm…heh, heh…yeah, it's yours." Mello said. "I took it—"

"Three years and two months ago. I know."

"Here," said Mello, grabbing it and shoving it towards Near. He also grabbed a thin sheet of what looked like paper from beside it, and quickly crammed it in his pocket.

"Who wants to go iceeee skating?!" Matt yelled, ignoring the bunny-fiasco and setting the camcorder on a nearby shelf.

Mello and Matt quickly grabbed their skates and laced them on to their feet, but Near just stood there, clutching his bunny to his chest. The two slightly older boys looked at him, and wondered why he wasn't getting his skates on.

"Here, they should be small enough to fit your tiny feet," Matt said, picking up Near's foot and beginning to lace the skate up.

"I do not know how to skate."

"You don't know how to skate either?" Mello asked disbelievingly.

"Have you never been outside of the orphanage?" added Matt, tying the skate's laces in a bow.

"No, I do not know how to skate, and yes, I do not usually go outside of the orphanage," Near replied curtly, probably sick of not knowing how to do so many of the things Mello and Matt knew how to do.

Matt let go of the foot with the skate already on, and lifted up his other foot, tying the skate on that one as well. Mello just grabbed some mittens and a scarf for Near, dressing him in the warm winter-wear.

"Well, it's pretty easy. It's almost like walking, even," Matt explained.

"Yeah, you see…you kinda have to go like this," Mello said, fake-skating in place.

Near reached up to twirl a piece of hair, and was put off when he found out he couldn't, due to the mittens having no fingers. Instead, he just nodded at Mello, and the two older boys walked outside, their skate blades clinking on the hard ground as they went.

"Near?"

Both Mello and Matt popped their heads back in as Near made no attempt to move.

"Are both Mello and Matt positive that this is safe?" he asked, his mitten-ed hand going up to twirl another lock of hair.

"It's safe, dumbass."

Matt rolled his eyes, going over to hang on to Near's hand and help him out the door. Mello shot Matt a death glare, but the boy was too busy trying to help Near to notice. Only the camera saw how resentfully Mello had been eyeing Matt. Mello rolled his eyes and ground his teeth in frustration, grabbing the camcorder off of the shelf and following the other two outside. Matt was helping Near onto the ice, and Mello quickly set the camera down on the edge of the windowsill, making sure that it wouldn't fall. Now, the three were all on the ice, Mello and Matt practically skating circles around Near. Near was ignoring them, trying to get the feel of how you were supposed to get going, so Mello and Matt began to chase each other around.

Mello's skate went over a bump in the ice, so he slipped and fell. He laughed, so Matt knew he was okay, but Near went over to help him, not noticing that the ice was breaking from Mello's impact. He reached Mello, holding out his hand to help him up. Mello took it, quickly getting up and skating right past the smaller boy. Near began to skate back towards the other two, having finally gotten the hang of skating, as he learned very quickly. He had almost made it off of the patch of cracked ice, when there was a loud crack and it suddenly gave out beneath his feet, sending him plummeting into the freezing waters. It was so cold out, the water immediately began to freeze back over, leaving Near trapped underneath the ice.

All of the taskforce members, except L, were on the edge of their seats, desperate to see whether Near would be okay or not.

It had only been a mere three seconds before Mello and Matt were over at the spot where Near had fallen under, banging on the ice and trying to get him out. Approximately twelve seconds later, they managed to break a hole in the ice, pulling out Near, who was sopping wet and shivering madly.

"Near, I'm really sorry, I didn't think the ice would break!" Matt said, holding Near closely while Mello took off Near's coat, replacing the freezing one white one with his dry black one.

"Take your coat off too! We have to keep him warm, in case he gets hypothermia!" said Mello, taking Near out of Matt's arms.

The poor boy didn't seem to be unconscious, but his eyes were squeezed shut, and he was huddling as close to Mello as possible, trying to absorb some of his body heat. Matt grabbed his coat and wrapped it around Near, looking at Mello worriedly.

"Matt, I'm going to go get Roger, okay?" Mello said. "We can't carry him through he deep snow, and he can't walk by himself, and somebody needs to stay with him and keep him warm!"

Mello took off, and Matt took Near inside the small shed, grabbing the camera on his way in. Setting the camcorder on the shelf inside, he sat on the floor, pulling Near into his lap. Still shivering madly, Near buried his face into Matt's chest, trying to warm up. As much as Matt liked the fact that Near was doing this, he couldn't help but feel that he was betraying Mello a little. About ten minutes later, Mello burst through the door, Roger and the school nurse in tow.

"Sorry—" he panted. "It—took me—so long!"

The school nurse quickly ran over and examined Near. Even just by looking at him, she declared they needed to get him to a hospital as soon as possible, because he might have brain damage from the intense cold. Mello and Matt looked at Near, and then each other worriedly, and Matt grabbed the camcorder, shutting it off.

"B-brain damage?" Matsuda stuttered.

L looked at Watari, as unemotional as ever.

"I was not aware that Near had suffered brain damage. That would diminish his potential worth as my successor," mused L, chewing on his thumbnail. "I will have to talk to Roger, as this is his fault. He should have been watching the children more carefully, as then they would not have been able to sneak off and go ice-skating. Even if this did happen almost a year ago, it is still possible that these kinds of things continue to occur. This incident must not repeat itself."

"The kid might have brain damage, and all you're worried about is his position as your successor?" spat Ide.

"That is correct," L replied. "Near's brain is his most precious asset, as it might someday surpass my own. Therefore, I am more worried about his potential going down the drain, rather than his physical health."

"But…how can you say something like that, L?" Matsuda asked.

"He was raised to become my successor. That is his only purpose in life."

The tape started up again, and Matt was behind it. Both he and Mello were outside of a hospital room, their arms full of toys, flowers, and balloons.

"Are you sure this is the right room, Matt?" Mello asked, double-checking the room number.

"Yeah. It's 1313, isn't it?" Matt said, checking a slip of paper a nurse gave him.

"Yeah."

The two walked in the door, only to see Near sitting in a hospital bed. He fit right in. Even though he wasn't in his normal white pajamas, he was wearing a white hospital gown, lying back in the bed and looking very bored. According to the date on the camera, it was the day after the three had gone ice-skating. As Near heard the two walk in, he looked at them and smiled weakly.

"H-hey Near!" Matt said. "We brought you some presents…"

"Matt made me pick them out," Mello mumbled, holding out a fluffy white teddy bear and a box of chocolates.

"Thank you," said Near, taking the teddy bear and setting the chocolates on the bed stand.

"Whatever."

Mello plopped himself down in a seat next to Near's bed while Matt bustled around the room, arranging all of the flowers and balloons.

"Lots of people brought you presents, Near!" said Matt, observing the giant pile of toys next to his bed.

"L made them," he deadpanned.

Mello looked around the room, and saw that most of the cards had the generic "Get well soon" message scribbled hastily on them, and nobody seemed to have put any effort into them. But, this was Near we were talking about here.

"Near, I'm sorry, we shouldn't have made you go ice skating with us," Matt apologized, handing Near a stack of blank puzzles he had bought. "The ice is usually a lot thicker than it was."

"Mello and Matt did not make me skate, I wholeheartedly agreed to."

"Well, still, it makes me feel bad—"

"Don't."

The three had an awkward silence, Mello and Matt just staring at Near, who was clutching the bear Mello had gotten him to his chest. He brought a shaky hand up and began to twirl his hair, apparently disturbed by the silence as well. As worried as he was about Near, it made Mello feel satisfied in a sick sort of way, knowing Near was so fragile when he appeared to be so unbreakable.

But, Mello was a sick sort of person.

---

Hello? Is anyone else sensing some MMN threesome-ness? *is shot* Okay, how about some shota? *is shot again*…childhood friendship, maybe?

And yes. I do have a fetish for Mello saving Near. In my mind, Mello and Matt are very over-protective of Near, and they want to keep him safe~

Did anyone catch the LABB reference? If you didn't, it was Near's hospital-room-number. 1313…if you put a 1 and a 3 together, it makes "B," so 1313 would be "BB."

~FragilePuzzle


	5. Hurt

Hey, it's new chapter time! But first, I just wanted to quickly (I'm such a liar) address an anonymous review I got from somebody named Kat. L DOES have better things to do then watch slightly pervy home movies of his top three successors, especially in front of the task force. That's why I wrote this story. It's just for fun, and it's not really meant to be taken seriously in any way. I wrote this because it would never happen in the canon series, and writing silly stories like this is just…well…fun! Oh, and, if you're going to leave a review like that, could you possibly sign in so I don't have to waste everyone else's time by writing a response here, when this space could be used for more of the story? If stuff like OOC crack-fics and yaoi-fied home videos don't float your boat, then why bother reading this story? Thanks~

Now, on to the REAL story!

---

A few weeks later, Near was released from the hospital. The "documentary" of sorts only had a few entries throughout those few weeks, most of them consisting of Mello and Matt complaining about how boring it was without Near. Finally, the day before Near got back, there was apparently a big test. The camcorder turned on right before the test results were about to be released.

"Hey Mels, are you excited or WHAT?" Matt asked, sounding a lot more excited than Mello looked.

"Yeah, I guess I am…" replied Mello, snapping a bite off of the chocolate bar he was holding.

The two of the continued to walk down the hallway, going downstairs, and finally arriving at a bulletin board where the test results were posted. As the children heard him, they turned around, letting out a loud cheer.

"Mello, you got first place! You got the best score in the whole orphanage!" said a slightly older girl, running up to the two of them.

"Yeah! You beat that dumbass Near! He can't compare to YOU, Mello!" yelled another boy, probably about the same age as Mello.

Cheers of "Near sucks" echoed throughout the halls, and everybody seemed pretty happy…everybody except for Mello. Even though he was being patted on the back, handed chocolate bars, and being told how awesome he was for finally taking Near out of his number one spot, he seemed empty. Come to think of it, Matt wasn't giggling happily anymore. As soon as the insults against Near started, they got worse and worse. But, neither Mello nor Matt spoke up for him. They just continued to let the other children say nasty things that most people wouldn't expect to come out of an adult's mouth.

"That's right, Mello! You show that little cunt who's boss!" yelled an older boy.

"Nasty little faggot should just go back to whatever hole he crawled out of!"

Finally, Mello couldn't take it any more, so he went back to his room, Matt following close behind. He slammed and locked the door behind him, even though you weren't supposed to lock the doors to your room. Angrily sitting down on the floor, he put his head in his hands. Matt sat down on his bed, the springs squeaking slightly under his weight. Setting the camcorder on the shelf next to his bed, he flipped over on to his stomach and put his face in his pillow.

"Why do they have to say such MEAN things about Near?" Mello suddenly asked, taking his head out of his hands.

"Mello, are you forgetting you used to say the exact same things to his face?" said Matt quietly, his voice muffled from the pillow.

Mello didn't say anything; he just put his head back into his hands. After another minute or so, he spoke up.

"It's gonna be hell tomorrow, isn't it?"

Matt nodded, sighing and deciding to turn off the camcorder. It started up again, but this time, Mello was behind the camcorder. According to the date in the corner of the screen, it was the next day, at about 8:00 in the morning.

"Near's due to arrive home any minute now, so I'm gonna…make sure he's alright and stuff," Mello explained. "Matt would too, but he's still asleep."

Just then, the small boy walked in the front door, twirling his hair around his finger and walking straight towards his room, staring at the ground. Mello noticed he still had the stuffed bunny he had gotten him clutched to his chest, and it already looked all bent out of shape. It looked like somebody hugged it tightly a little too much, but Mello knew Near wouldn't do that. Maybe he dropped it on the ground and it got ran over by a car or something.

"Hey, Near, are you doing okay and stuff?" Mello asked, walking up to him from behind.

Near seemed very surprised and attempted to hide the bunny behind his back, nodding shakily. Mello smiled at him, and Near knew something was up right away. Mello hardly ever smiled at him…maybe it was what he had said a few weeks ago, before they went up onto the roof to spend New Years together?

"Well, I should get going. I am actually very tired, and I need to go take a rest. Thank you for checking to see if I was okay, Mello," Near said, quickly walking down a nearby hall, turning the corner and disappearing from Mello's sight.

"Hnn, you little idiot, I was just trying to see if you were okay…" Mello said quietly, walking back to his room.

When he got back and saw that Matt was still asleep, his lips parted slightly and occasionally twitching like he was having a nightmare, Mello threw at a book at him to try and wake him up.

"Hey, wake your lazy ass up!" he said, going over to the bed and shaking him awake. "Near's back!"

"Mnn, that's good…"

Matt groaned and stretched, rubbing his eyes and stepping out of bed, yawning deeply. He shuffled over to the dresser and grabbed a T-shirt, putting it on over his bare chest, as he only slept in his boxers. Mello flushed slightly, looking away and being glad the curtains were still closed so the room was slightly dark. He only thought of Matt as a friend, he only thought if Matt as a friend, he only thought of Matt as a friend, he only thought of Matt as a friend….

"Hey, you ready to go visit him?" Matt asked, stretching to his full height of 5'7". Although he was tall and gangly, he never used his apparent strength to hurt others, and Mello respected him for that. Even though Mello was only 5'5", he was thankful that he was at least taller than Near, who was a measly 5 feet tall. Seriously, that shrimp probably only weighed 70 pounds. But really, even though Matt was so tall and had been mistaken for being much older than 13 before, he acted like an 8-year-old. Mello admitted, sometimes he had his childish moments, but he thought acted pretty mature.

"Earth to Mello…you still awake?" Matt asked, waving a hand in front of his face. "We're going to see Near, remember?"

"Oh…yeah…right," said Mello, standing up and following Matt towards the hallway that led to Near's room.

When they arrived there, Matt knocked at the door and waited like a good little boy. After a few more minutes, Mello just turned the knob and opened the door, looking around so he could yell at Near for ignoring them. However, the small boy was nowhere to be found. So, Mello decided to lead the way, going to the toy room, the second-most-likely place Near would be found. However, he wasn't there either. Suddenly, a boy came running up to them, giggling madly. He was about Mello's age, and Mello remembered him as one of the children from the test-results fiasco yesterday.

"HOman, Mello, you just have to come see this!" he said, still laughing. "It's pretty awesome!"

Mello looked at Matt, who was behind the camcorder, questioningly, but decided to follow him anyway. The boy, who's name was Fallon, led them into an abandoned bathroom on the deserted side of Wammy's. Nobody ever came over to this side of the building, and children always claimed it was haunted. Mello wondered what this boy was playing at, but he didn't have to wait too long to find out. As Fallon opened the door, Mello saw a sight that made him want to puke.

Near was lying on the floor, stripped and having been beaten bloody. The bunny Mello got him was lying on the floor of the bathroom, a few blood spatters on it, and stuffing falling out, as it had been ripped apart. There were four boys holding him down, and about five others watching the scene before them. One of the boys was sitting on his legs, and one on each arm. The third was straddling his chest and—

"That's right you little cock-sucker, you like it when I mouth-fuck you, don't you?" he laughed.

"Mmph!" Near cried, tears streaming down his face and seeing Mello, hoping he would help him.

Mello just shoved Fallon's head up against the hard tile of the wall, knocking him out with a loud and hollow "thud". Matt could tell his temper was getting out of control, and when that happened, there was no telling what he would do. Fallon slouched over on to the floor, and Mello just shoved him out of the way, going over to Near.

"Get your fucking hands off him or die," Mello snarled. Matt knew there would be no going back now.

"Oh yeah?" said the boy that had been straddling Near, standing up. "What are you going to do?"

Mello just sized him up, knowing that the boy had to be 15 or 16. However, he kneed him in the stomach and grabbed his head in his hand, slamming it up against the hard wall with a loud thunk and a cracking sound. Two down, eight to go. But as soon as the other boys knew Mello was serious, they immediately tried to gang up on him. Matt quickly dropped the camcorder, letting it hit the floor on its side. The camera didn't die out; it merely went fuzzy for a second and continued to capture everything that was happening. You could hear lots of screaming and swearing, but all you could see was Near lying on the floor, breathing unevenly and trying to wipe the tears out of his eyes.

One by one, the boys that were ganging up on Near dropped to the floor, bloody noses and broken bones galore. Mello was apparently very strong, as was Matt, and in no time, all of the boys were taken care of.

"Near, are you okay?" Mello asked, helping him get back into his clothes.

Matt quickly picked him up and Mello grabbed the camcorder and the stuffed rabbit, and the two were intending to take him to the nurse's office and explain what happened. However, Near stopped them.

"Please, I-I will ask you n-not to take me to the nurse's office."

"Why the hell not?" Mello asked, glaring at him.

"I-I am meant to be L's successor. I a-am not supposed t-to be so weak."

"Near, what happened to you doesn't make you weak! How were you supposed to help it?" Matt exclaimed.

Near didn't say anything, but Matt folded like a house of cards. He took Near back to their room and set him on his bed, grabbing the first aid kit out of the bathroom and beginning to fix him up. Mello stood in the doorway for a moment before leaving, going to the library to think. He wondered…if he hated Near so much, why did he save him?

---

I just realized how mean I am to Near in all of my stories…I'm sorry Nia-tan, I still love you! *cries* I'll have to write a story where nothing but good things happen to him to make up for this! Please forgive me, Nia fans! I'm one of you! But now do you see why the story was rated M? Man, I am so epic fail…I give you full permission to hate me forever, but just remember, the rape is actually going to play a very important part in the plot development.

~FragilePuzzle


	6. Observer

Here's the next chappie! Wondering if Near will really get over the rape? Wondering if the three will actually ever get together? Wondering if I can get any dumber? Wondering if I'll shut up now, and actually let you read the story? Read on to find out! Sorry if it takes a while for updates, I actually have a big stack of homework because my collage professor is a meanie and assigned summer homework.

---

As soon as Matt had finished bandaging Near's wounds and giving him some Tylenol, the smaller boy immediately fell asleep, probably exhausted from the recent happening of events. Suddenly, while staring at the sleeping boy, Mat felt an urge. A really bad urge. Looking around to make sure that nobody was watching, he gently ran his fingers through Near's soft curls. However, he quickly pulled his hand away, remembering how Mello had affectionately done the exact same thing when the two of them were on the roof…alone.

Feeling a strong surge of jealousy, Matt quickly stood up and walked over to the plush armchair in the room. Curling himself up, he just stared at the small boy who was seemingly swimming in the large cotton white covers of his bed. Many confusing thoughts ran through his head, but one prevailed above all others as the most important thing he was thinking about. He thought that if he seriously cared for the both of them, he would step out of the way and let them be happy together…but there was this feeling he got when he thought of them together, leaving him behind…

Perhaps it was wrong to be in love with your best friend and his worst enemy. Maybe it made him a freak.

But Mello's icy blue eyes and his golden-blonde hair…the way he would seductively lick and nibble at his chocolate, being SO unintentionally sexy. Near's graceful movements and his soft pink lips…Mello's straightforwardness and overprotective nature. Near's soft voice and piercing eyes. Mello's sense of taboo. Near's sense of innocence. The way Mello would trust him not to stare when he came out of the bathroom, half-naked, and got changed in their room. They way that on hot days, Near would unbutton the top two buttons of his pajama top and it would slide off of his shoulder, revealing his creamy white skin. That skin that had never been touched, never been kissed…it was still so pure.

It made him want to touch it…just to feel how pure it was. He wanted to run his hands all over it, just to feel it under his fingertips, to kiss it and make it impure—

Stopping himself right there, he turned away from Near and curled up in the chair, promising himself he wouldn't leave Near in his room all alone, no matter how much he wanted to go look for Mello. After a few minutes, he could feel his eyelids begin to droop, and by the time a few more minutes had passed, he was fast asleep. The camcorder died a few minutes later, running out of batteries.

---

The next time the camcorder turned on, Matt was behind it. It was the next day, and Mello and Matt had apparently taken it upon themselves to protect Near from any incoming danger. So, despite the small boy's protests, the two followed him around all day. When he sat on the floor of the playroom to do his puzzle, they sat at the table in the corner of the room, keeping an eye out for anyone and anything that might harm him. Matt had set the camcorder on the nearby windowsill, and Mello was sitting on the edge of his seat, trying to focus on his homework, but every five seconds he would whip his head around and check on Near. He wanted to smack himself for doing that, because he knew that he didn't really care about Near.

At all.

Nope.

Not one bit.

In fact, he hated him.

Yup.

Hated him.

Some might even say despised. Or loathed. Abominated. But definitely not liked. Or lusted after. Or loved.

So, turning back around for the fiftieth time, Mello once again began to work on his German homework. It should have been a piece of cake, but it wasn't. Something was distracting him…maybe it was Matt? Yeah, it had to have been Matt, because it definitely wasn't Near. Come to think of it…

Mello turned his head slightly, drumming his fingers on the table and peeking out at Matt through a veil of blonde hair. The redhead was also working on his homework, which Mello quickly recognized as trigonometry. He had a round cherry-flavored lollipop in his mouth, and was staring intensely at the paper covered in formulas and drawings of Pikachu, Kirby and Mario. Pulling the lollipop out of his mouth with a wet "pop," he slowly and absentmindedly pushed it back in his mouth, swirling it around his tongue. Now Mello really couldn't focus.

Sighing softly, the blonde turned around to check on Near again, trying to ignore the quiet sucking and popping sounds Matt was making. However, this time, Mello noticed that something was wrong with Near. This whole time, the small boy hadn't touched a single puzzle piece. They were still sitting on the floor in a mess, where he had dumped them about an hour-and-a-half earlier, and Near was just sitting in his normal position, staring at the floor.

"Near…? Is something wrong?" asked Mello, mentally smacking himself a second afterwards for asking such a stupid question.

Mello expected Near to say something along the lines of "Of course something is wrong you fucking douchebag. I was fucking RAPED yesterday and I'm too fucking mentally scarred to sit on the floor doing fucking PUZZLES all fucking day while you imagine dirty scenarios about your fucking BEST FRIEND sucking on something other than that goddamn, fucking LOLLIPOP!"

That's what Mello would have said, anyway.

However, even if he was thinking that (which Mello highly doubted he was), Near would never say it. The white-haired boy just shook his head, continuing to stare at the floor and twirl a strand of his hair. Turning around, Matt bit his lollipop in half with his teeth, making a loud "crack" and causing Mello wince slightly. The redhead walked over to Near, who just looked up slightly, looking back down at the blank puzzle board a second later. Setting a hand of his shoulder, Matt could feel Near instantly stiffen and jerk away.

"Please refrain from touching me," he whispered, his voice cold.

"S-sorry…" whispered Matt, quickly removing his hand and taking a step back.

"Why are we whispering?" Mello asked, whispering in an overdramatically quiet voice.

Matt just rolled his eyes and turned back to Near, sitting on the floor by him. Sighing, Mello put down his pencil and walked over as well, plopping down on the floor next to Matt. He rested his head on the redhead's shoulder, trying to be as casual as possible. Looking at the two of them discreetly, Near noticed he felt a weird feeling in his stomach...it felt like he needed to throw up, and he didn't know why. Maybe he ate something bad.

"I do not feel so well. If Mello and Matt will excuse me, I think I will go use the facilities and lie down," he said softly, getting up and quickly walking out of the room.

"He's pretty fast for a little guy that hardly ever uses his legs," said Matt.

Mello just snorted, looking at the mess of a puzzle Near had left lying on the ground. All of the other kids knew that it belonged to Near, so if they got the chance, they'd probably destroy it.

"He must've been pretty sick to just leave his favorite puzzle on the floor…" Mello said.

"Then we should probably take care of it for him, don't ya think?"

Mello nodded, and the two quickly tried to get to work. However, that blank puzzle must have been a hecka harder than it looked, and it looked pretty hard.

"Fuck this!" said Mello, flipping the puzzle board up in the air a few minutes after they started.

What few puzzle pieces they had assembled went flying, and Matt just sighed. Rolling his eyes and sucking air in through his teeth, Mello began to pick up all of the pieces, just stacking them up on the board. Mello balanced the puzzle while Matt ran across the room and grabbed the camcorder, the two of them beginning to walk towards Near's room. Just opening the door, not even bothering to knock, the two went in only to find that Near wasn't there.

"Don't tell me that little wimp got kidnapped again," Mello said, quickly setting the puzzle down on Near's bed.

"W-we should go look for him, just in case."

"Yeah."

The two quickly set off, sometime calling out for him. When they arrived at the unused boy's bathroom, they could hear coughing coming from inside, so Mello threw open the door. There didn't appear to be anyone in there at first, but they could definitely hear retching noises. The third stall was the only one closed, so the two marched up to it, pulling it open. Near was leaning over the toilet, making terrible choking noises and seemingly TRYING to get himself to throw up.

"Near, what's wrong?" asked Matt, peeking over Mello's shoulder.

"I-I felt a strange feeling in t-the pit of my stomach, and I assumed it t-to be the feeling of being s-sick," he explained, his voice slightly hoarse.

Matt just set the camcorder down on a windowsill, helping Near lean over and rubbing his back softly. Suddenly, as Mello was getting some of the paper towels they had there, another boy came walking in. Mello immediately realized him as the ringleader of the entire operation, and the same boy that had raped Near.

"Fucker!" he growled, shoving him up against the tile wall. "I thought you would have been in the hospital for a few weeks, but no, here you are!"

"Dude, what the hell? I'm just tryin' to go to the bathroom!" he said, pushing Mello backwards.

"Go somewhere else," Mello said, a poisonous tone in his voice. "I don't ever want to see your fucking ugly face in the same room with Near ever again, do you fucking understand me?"

Suddenly, the other boy saw Near leaning over the toilet. The smaller boy slowly looked up, his eyes widening as he saw who it was. Seeing that expression of fear on the normally emotionless mask Near always wore made the older boy smile, giving Near a quick wink. Mello saw this and shoved him against the wall again, his hands wrapping around the older boy's throat.

"M-Mello, stop!" Matt said, protectively hiding Near behind him.

"No way. If I ever see this guy in the same room as Near again, I'll fucking kill him."

"Dude, what—"  
"You know I don't fuck around, and when I say something like that, you better know that I fucking mean it. Now get out," he hissed, stressing the last two words.

As the older boy seemed to contemplate it, Matt could feel Near clutching on to his shirt and burying his face in his back. He must have been really scared, because normally, the pale boy would never come into physical contact with people, let alone hide behind them. Even the camcorder could see that Near was shaking slightly, his thin legs buckling and threatening to give out.

"Did you not understand me?" Mello asked, slamming the older boy against the wall again.

"Jesus, Barbie, I'm going!" he said, beginning to make his way out of the bathroom. However, as he was halfway out, he spoke up again. "We'll have more fun when these boys aren't around, okay Near?"

"N-no…p-please…no…!" he whimpered softly, being so un-Near like, Matt hardly even believed it was him.

Before Mello even had time to comprehend what the boy had said, he was halfway down the hallway. A look of hatred flashed over Mello's face, and he quickly chased after the boy, his heavy footsteps thudding down the hallway.

"Near, I promise, we won't let him hurt you…" Matt said softly, gently turning around and pulling the shaking boy into his arms. "Shh, you don't need to be afraid…I promise, that won't happen to you again…Shh…You'll be okay from now on…"

Near, despite tensing up, seemed to decide it would be safer to stay in Matt's arms. Not to mention he really liked it. However, he just couldn't bring himself to hug back. What if Matt did the same thing that other boy had done to him...? As much as Near wanted to believe he wouldn't, he now had that fear of everyone. If you thought about it, anybody could do it…he had to be careful from now on. Trying to get his body to relax, he found he couldn't, so he just continued to accept the awkward hug from the redhead, feeling just a little safer.

---

It is getting really hard to express their inner feelings, because the three boys don't constantly talk aloud to themselves, so you guys will have to deal with a little internal dialogue. Again, I'm sorry for that, and the fact that it's been taking me so long to update lately.

~FragilePuzzle


	7. Friend

Ohmanohmanohman, I hope you guys like this story so far! I…I dunno. I love writing it! And yay for inner dialogue! Anyway, I'm excited, and I wanted to tell you guys something…I got the Death Note soundtrack! So, while I was writing this, I would listen to the (insert character I'm writing about here)'s theme. It worked really well, but Mello's theme is so sad…it's tragic and sort of angry at the same time! Okay, enough ranting, time for the story~

---

Matt wrapped his arms tighter around the smaller boy, gently resting his chin in his soft head of white hair. He could still feel him shivering, but he seemed to have gotten his normal persona back. He was no longer whimpering and clinging to Matt, instead he seemed as if he wanted to pull away instead of hug back.

"Sorry," Matt said, quickly letting go of him. "You just seemed kind of scared and I know that hugs usually make people feel better so I thought, 'Hey, you know, I should probably give him a hug!' and then you—"

"It is all right," Near said quietly, cutting off Matt's embarrassed rant. "Under normal circumstances, I might have enjoyed it."

Before Matt even had time to realize what Near was saying, the small boy was already out into the hall, the heavy wooden door swinging shut behind him. By the time the redhead had grabbed the camcorder and ran out into the corridor, Near was nowhere in sight. Sighing dejectedly, Matt leaned up against the wall outside of the bathroom; setting the camcorder down on a shelf to him and seeing Mello come running back down the hall towards him.

"D-damn…" the blonde muttered, slightly out of breath. "H-He got away…where's Near?"

"I don't know…I gave him a hug and then he ran away," Matt said, his fingers twitching and itching for a videogame or computer.

Suddenly, the look on Mello's face changed, despite how much the blonde was trying to hide it. Matt however, didn't notice. He was too busy wishing he was somewhere else right now, preferably in bed, under the covers, with his DS and his new game.

"I-I wouldn't hug him if I were you! That little freak might give you a disease!" he said hotly, trying to disguise his jealousy.

"Mello, what are you talking about? Near's not--"

Both boys heard the sound of footsteps thudding down the nearby corridor, running away from the two of them, and they quickly went to check and see who it was. The only clue as to who it could be was a small robot lying on the ground. Matt picked it up, examining it even though both of the boys knew that the only child in the orphanage who still played with robots was Near.

"Hey…" said Matt, his voice falling as he continued to speak. "…That's a XXXG-01D Gundam Deathscythe…it's Near's…"

---

A few minutes later, both of the boys were at Near's door, pounding on it and telling him to open up. After a few seconds of screeching, Near slowly opened the door, his cheeks tearstained but his face blank and emotionless.

"Might you know where my robot is?" he asked, his voice abnormally soft. "I wish to have it back."

Matt handed the robot to Near, Mello just rolling his eyes at Matt's ability to fold like a house of cards.

"Look, I'm sorry—" started Mello.

Near, apparently, had no room for apologies. He just softly shut the door in their faces, not even giving them a second look or a goodbye first. They could hear the thumb-turn lock click into place and his sock-feet pad across the room, the creaking of bedsprings…and then nothing.

"Hey, asshole, open up!" Mello yelled, beginning to pound on the door again.

"Mels, c'mon…" Matt said, trying to pry his friend away from the door.

"Matt's worried about you, so get your ass out here and tell him you're fine!" Mello demanded, brushing Matt off.

Matt's face turned a bright red at this accusation, but he didn't try and deny it…he was worried about Near. However, after a few minutes, the two could hear the small boy pad back across the room, unlocking the door. As he opened it, Mello and Matt saw a sight they did not expect to see. Nobody would have expected it. Ever. Not in a million, zillion, kajillion years. But there it was. Staring them down. Right in the face. I mean, it was RIGHT THERE. Not even two feet away from them. RIGHT. THERE.

"I thought…Mello and Matt were my friends," Near said softly, looking at the two of them, his eyes threatening to spill over with the tears that were gathering in them.

The petite boy was clutching a large white pillow to his chest, his eyes red and his hair messy and matted to his forehead. He looked up at the two older boys with a slightly lost and empty look in his eyes, like he was hoping for some reassurance-- for them to say "Of course we are!"

Mello's heart suddenly wrenched as he realized the situation Near was in. He was only thirteen years old, and he had been raped. Nothing had been done about it, there was no "justice" for him, he didn't get to see his attacker thrown in jail. Hell, nobody besides the boys that were in the bathroom that day even KNEW about it. There was no L to search out the righteous, no Watari to try and comfort him, no Roger to scream at the kids and expel them…it was only Mello and Matt, one of which had called him a freak with a disease. Yet, he still thought of them as his friends.

It was the most fucking pitiful sight Mello had ever seen.

And what did Mello do? Did the blonde comfort him? Did he tell him everything was going to be alright, that he and Matt would keep him safe?

No.

Mello slapped him.

The empty sound resounded throughout the room, and a bright red mark blossomed on Near's pale cheek, the small boy looking at Mello in hurt and confusion.

"Mello?! What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Matt asked, roughly pushing the blonde away from Near and looking angrier than Mello had ever seen him. "Don't fucking slap him!"

Mello just looked at the redhead angrily. He looked at Near, wanting to slap him again, but Matt was standing protectively in front of the small boy.

"Pull yourself together!" the blonde yelled, staring right at Near. "It makes me sick to see you like this!"

"Mello! Stop it!" Matt yelled, pushing him away again. "Leave him alone!"

Near just stared off somewhere to the lower right, his eyes brimming with tears again, his hand touching the flaming red palm mark that stood out so well against his porcelain skin. He seemed to want to look anywhere but at Mello.

"Don't fucking cry!" he yelled. "You'd better not cry!"

Matt just continued to stand in the doorway between Mello and Near. Mello could tell the redhead was trying to calm himself, but as Mello made a move to yell at Near again, the redhead looked up at him.

"I think you should go now, Mello," Matt said stiffly, staring right at the blonde.

Mello looked like he wanted to say something else, but he glared at the both of them and walked off, breaking into a run once he was halfway down the hallway. Matt turned around and looked at Near, a concerned expression plastered over his face.

"I think that Matt should leave as well," he said, his eyes still not meeting Matt's. "I…I wish to be left alone."

Matt was going to protest and insist that he stay, but he decided against it. With a quick nod, he grabbed the camcorder and went the opposite direction Mello headed, leaving the small boy to retreat back into his room, shutting and locking the door.

---

L really wasn't as interested in these tapes as the rest of the task force was…they were treating it like it was a reality TV show for chrissakes. However, L was a bit curious to see what else had been going on in the children's lives, and whether things at the orphanage were what they seemed. With that thought in mind, he popped in the next tape, the other members of the taskforce too captivated to even ask their usual bombardment of questions.

---

The tape started up again, and you could tell that Matt was behind it. For one thing, Matt was taller than both Mello and Near, so everything seemed different from his point of view. For another, he waked normally; unlike Mello-- who walked like he always had somewhere to go, and Near-- who walked like there was all the time in the world.

Matt was sighing every couple of steps, looking around every corner of every hallway for something.

"I can't seem to find Mello OR Near…" he sighed, a sad tone in his voice. "I haven't seen Near since the test we had yesterday, and he's just been ignoring me and Mello, and I only see Mello when we go to sleep at night…"

However, after traveling down a few more halls, Matt spotted Mello. He was going to run right up to the blonde when he realized that he must be spying on somebody, as he was peeking through the door of…Roger's office? Hearing the gamer, Mello turned around just enough to put a finger to his lips and signal for Matt to be quiet before turning back around again. The redhead quickly ran up beside him, putting the camcorder to the door as well.

"Near, I insist that you tell me what is wrong!" said Roger, looking slightly irked.

"Nothing is wrong, sir," Near replied quietly, playing with the sleeve of his pajama shirt before moving his hand up to twirl a lock of hair.

"Near, you can not tell me nothing is wrong! You got a ZERO on the test you took yesterday!"

Boy, if only the camera could have seen Mello's face when Roger said that.

"Have Mello and Matt been picking on you?" Roger asked, giving Near his "interrogation-eye," as Mello liked to call it.

"No sir," said Near, looking him straight in the eye as he said it.

"Near, almost the only thing you put on this test was your NAME. You managed to finish the first problem, but the answer was not twenty-nine. It was eighty-two."

"I apologize, sir. I think I may be coming down with something," said Near, coughing unconvincingly.

"You are expected to come to detention at nine-thirty tonight, do you understand?" asked Roger, still eyeing Near strangely.

"Yes sir," he said quietly, his voice still as blank and dull as ever.

Near nodded once to signal he was leaving, and he quickly walked over to the door, leaving only seconds for Mello and Matt to run over into a storage closet and slam the door shut. They could hear the small boy walking across the floor, over to the door of the closet, stopping for a second, and suddenly flinging it open.

"Mello. Matt," he said, looking at them. "Were you by chance _spying_ on me when I was in Roger's office?"

At the same time, Mello let out a disbelieving "NO!" and Matt let out a defeated "…yes…"

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Mello said, smacking Matt in the back of the head.

------------------------------

Short chappie, I know. I promise future ones will be longer, better, and more interesting! Forgive me, maybe?

~FragilePuzzle


	8. Detention

*shot for the crappy quality of the past few chapters* Okay, I'm sorry, but this chapter is kind of short! In fact, I think it's the shortest chapter ever! Don't kill me…but at least they're coming out a lot faster now, right?

---------------------------

"Who the hell tells someone you're _spying_ on them, you dummy?" hissed Mello, smacking him on the back of the head again.

"Oww, Mello, I'm sorry!"

"I see," said Near. "Why would you feel the need to spy on me? Have you sunk to that low of a level yet again?"

Mello stood up, trying to be as dignified as possible, his face beet red. Matt stood up a second later, the two having silently made up, a small weight lifting itself off of the redhead's chest.

"Look, fucktard. We're worried about you."

Matt rolled his eyes at Mello's "language," but nodded to agree with his friend nonetheless.

"We heard you got a zero, so…"

"What I get on my tests is really none of Mello and Matt's business," he stated calmly, twirling a lock of hair. "Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to take my leave as of now."

"We'll see you in detention!" Mello said to the fleeting Near, a large grin on his face, the same one he got when he thought he had outsmarted the small boy.

"Mello, since when do we have detention?" Matt whispered, leaning over to his friend. "You can't just go hang out in detention, you know that, right?"

Suddenly, just as Near was walking away, Mello grabbed his arm and yanked him back. The blonde slammed him up against the wall next to Roger's door, making sure Roger would hear everything.

"Stupid NEAR!" he roared, still grinning like a maniac. "I bet you…umm…THINK YOU'RE SO GREAT, DON'T YOU?!?"

Mello punched the wall next to Near, his hands wrapping loosely around the smaller boy's throat.

"Yeah…erm…go Mello…?" Matt added, wanting to go to detention with the two of them as well. "Stupid Near?"

Within seconds, Roger was out in the hallway, pulling Mello off of Near and shooting dirty looks at both he and Matt.

"Detention, both of you, nine-thirty," he growled. "Do not be a SECOND late."

Mello rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, flipping his blonde hair over his shoulder and walking off. Matt quickly followed him, mouthing "I'm sorry" to Near when Roger wasn't looking. Then, as the two turned the corner, Near disappeared from the camcorder's sight.

"Don't forget to bring the camcorder to detention tonight," said Mello, winking and walking away.

"…right."

---

Mello and Matt arrived at detention three minutes late, Near sitting in a large, puffy chair towards the middle of the room. Detention was always held in the library, and it was usually nighttime when it started. The lights on the wall would be turned down dimly, so they gave off about as much light as a candle each, and the children would be forced to sit in one spot and handwrite a three-page essay on what they did wrong and how they were going to fix it and improve in the future. Mello and Matt had been sent to detention so many times; they knew exactly what to say in their essays, and how to say it. All the teachers at the school usually loved the two of them because of their "regret-and-expression-filled" essays. Mello didn't understand why the stupid teachers didn't just realize that he and Matt actually had serious competitions to see who could spew out the most lies and bullshit in a single sentence.

"Hey Near," Matt said, taking a seat in one of the many chairs.

"'Sup?" Mello asked.

Leaning over to see what Near had written so far, Mello saw that his paper was blank. There were just small circles where Near had been nonchalantly twirling his pencil across the paper. Matt and Mello shot each other a worried look, as it didn't even appear that Near noticed their presence. The only movement he was making was small twirls of his hand, as to draw more circles on the paper.

"Neeeeearrrrrr?" Mello asked, waving a hand in front of his face. "Earth to fucktard, calling all dumbasses."

Near slowly blinked a few times before looking at Mello and Matt, and then down at his blank paper.

"Near, we only have five minutes before we turn in our essays!" Mello said worriedly, trying to psyche Near out.

Near's eyes widened as he frantically began to scribble down his first paragraph, Mello bursting out into giggles. After a second, Near looked up at the clock on the wall and realized that Mello was lying. Sighing slightly, he set down his pencil and laid his head in his arms, closing his eyes again.

"Near, what's up though?" Matt asked. "You don't…seem like yourself lately. I mean, it's the thirtieth! We have end-of-the-month tests tomorrow!"

"I know that," he said quietly, his voice muffled by his arms.

"You seriously got a zero on your test, though?" asked Mello, a cross between worry and sympathy on his face.

"I suppose Mello will find out when we are to get the results, will he not?"

"Near, look," the blonde said, letting out a deep and overdramatic sigh. "I came to detention specially to…a…apol…apolo…"

Matt let out a sigh as well, smacking his friend on the back, Mello finally spitting it out.

"--Apologize!"

Near looked up slowly, his normal emotionless face on, but a slight sparkle of confusion in his eyes.

"I didn't mean it when I said you were a freak…I mean…it's not like I LIKE like you, but…maybe…we could stop fighting all the time? We're not children any more, you know."

Matt let out a fake sniff as Near nodded, wiping away an imaginary tear. Mello smacked the redhead, as he had taken a habit of doing lately, giving him a nasty look as he realized that Matt was mocking him. Matt just let out a small "ouch," but continued to smile at the two of them. At least they had stopped fighting…but that just made it all the more likely they would realize their feelings for each other. So, while he was happy that he wouldn't have to be caught in the middle of their childish fights anymore, he would rather be there than nowhere.

"Okay Near, now that that's over, we're going to help you write the BEST bullshit-filled essay you ever damn saw!" announced Matt, putting on a smile and thrusting a fist into the air. "Then we can haul ass outta here, and go to bed! Now let's get MOTIVATED!"

"Very well," he said. "I have never known how to apologize properly, so I suppose I could use assistance."

The three boys spent the next two hours coming up with the most ridiculous lies in the book, using every excuse and apology under the sun. For the first time in a while, they were able to put all drama behind them and just have fun together. Mello and Matt laughed and horseplayed while Near watched them from his comfortable position in the armchair, occasionally letting a small smile flit across his lips. For the first time since the incident in the bathroom, he was happy, even knowing that he would not have to fight with Mello anymore. He just…he wanted to become closer to Matt and Mello.

Suddenly, the three froze. They could see the door to the library opening. Roger was back to collect their papers. Dashing over to their seats and grabbing their essays, Mello and Matt sat down as fast as they could, as far away from Near as possible, pretending like they had been working this whole time.

"I see you three have not ripped each other apart…that I am relieved about," said Roger, walking over to them and taking their papers out of their hands. "I expect that you three learned your lesson, eh?"

Nodding vigorously, Mello and Matt jumped out of their seats, waiting for Near. Near let out a small "yes sir," before getting up, still twirling the same strands of platinum hair he had been the whole time. He looked at Matt and Mello, wondering why the two were waiting for him before beginning to follow them.

They eventually led him back to his room, Matt giving him a timid hug and Mello rolling his eyes.

"Goodnight!" Matt said happily, smiling at him.

"Wait…" he said quietly. "I would…like to thank Mello."

"Thank me? What the hell for?" asked Mello, turning around to stare at him.

"For hitting me," he said, a small blush dusting his cheeks as he continued to twirl his hair.

"Near?! I would have never guessed that you were such an enthusiastic masochist!" said Matt, Mello looking at him bewilderedly as well.

"I am not a masochist," he deadpanned. "I enjoyed spending detention with the Mello and Matt."

"Pshh, anytime!" Matt said happily, a dumb grin on his face. "It was fun helping you write the shittiest apology ever!"

Near let out another small smile as Matt ruffled his hair, waving goodnight to the two and shutting his bedroom door softly.

Matt faded the tape to black as Mello waved and said goodnight, and promised that they would document again in a few days.

---

L had to admit, this is not what he pictured the three's relationship to be like at all. He always thought that Mello hated Near, as did Matt, and Near hated them back. However…that was apparently not so. According to the tapes, they were actually getting along. It gave him a small feeling of, well, he-didn't-really-know-what in the pit of his stomach. Maybe it was a combination of relief, fatherly pride, and slight sadness because of the fact that he had not witnessed any of this when it happened.

---------------------------

Hey guys, I've decided that chapters are going to be shorter now. I don't have any fukking attention span, so I'll make the chapters shorter, but then I'll get one or two out a DAY! How does that sound? Good, amirite? Next chapter should be cute and fluffy, cause I'm getting sick of this depressing shit. Until next time!

~FragilePuzzle


	9. Misinterpretation

**A/N: **Sorry if one chapter is all fluffy bunnies, and the next is emo angst-y-ness, because I happen to be on my period, and one second I'm happy, and the next I'm depressed. And sorry if they're just getting shorter and shorter and shorter…I'll try my best to stop the cycle and make the next chapter longer.

* * *

L put a new tape into the player, his eyes quickly darting to the date in the corner. It was February fourteenth…that was an important date…but what was it? February…February…

"Valentine's day…" he said quietly. "February fourteenth is Valentine's Day."

"What is Valentine's Day?" Matsuda asked, a confused look on his face.

"It is like White Day here in Japan. It is used to celebrate Saint Valentine…lovers give each other chocolate on this specific day."

It was then when the tape started up. Matt was behind it, as usual, and he was following Mello around, as usual.

"Where the fuck IS he?" Mello wondered aloud. "Is he hiding in the cookie jar or something?"  
"The hell?" Matt asked, confusedly, wondering the whole cookie jar thing was about.

"Nothing…_stupid little kids and their Barney in the common room_…but seriously, the only place we have left to check is the playroom."

"And we didn't check there first WHY?" Matt asked. "You KNOW he's always in here…"

"Quit your bitching," snapped Mello. "Let's just go to the damn playroom."

Mello walked through the halls like he owned the place, Matt having to take long strides to keep up with the speedy blonde. Really, he never understood how he could walk so fast without it looking like he was running. At the pace they were going, they arrived in the playroom within a minute, despite the fact that they were practically on the other side of the building when they started out. Matt was winded, but Mello was still breathing normally as he slammed the door to the room open, storming in like it was his own bedroom.

Near was sitting on the windowsill of the window in the playroom, his knee to his chest and one of his hands entwined in his curls. The other was resting in his lap, loosely holding two boxes wrapped with colorful shades of red and pink ribbon. He was just staring out the window, but he stood up when he heard them enter, looking at them with a hint of nervousness in his stance.

"Hello," he said quietly, his hands gripping the boxes tighter. "Are Mello and Matt faring well?"

"Yeah!" said Matt, waving a quick hello. "What about you?"

"I am fine," he said, his finger twirling the same few strands over and over again. "But I do have a favor to ask of Mello and Matt."

"Whadda want?" Mello asked, plopping down on the floor next to the windowsill.

"I was… wondering…if… Mello… and Matt… would…" he said slowly, his nervousness slightly more apparent now.

"If we would WHAT? Spit it out already."

"If Mello and Matt would accept a small gift," he said, shyness in his voice.

He held them each a box, his eyes averting themselves from their faces. Of course, Mello took his without thinking, and immediately pulled the ribbon off, intending to get to the gift inside. Matt however, knew it was Valentine's Day. A blush crossed his face, one he tried desperately to hide as he took the gift from Near, nodding as thanks. Near had bought him chocolate…? S-so he liked him? What was he supposed to do? Mello was right here, but he had gotten Mello chocolate too, so was the chocolate just a friendly gesture, or maybe he really like the BOTH of them, and—

"Holy shit Near, where did you get this expensive chocolate?" Mello asked, wondering why in the hell Near was randomly giving him super-expensive chocolate.

"I was able to obtain the chocolate because I never eat any of my sweets we are allowed, as I do not enjoy sweet things," said Near, twirling his hair. "So when I asked Roger to pick out some chocolate for myself, next time he was able, he went to the store right away…"

As Matt heard Near didn't like sweet things, he tried to hide the slightly crestfallen look on his face, leaving the chocolate he had picked out for Near carefully concealed in his pocket. And now that Mello knew it was Valentine's Day, he couldn't give Mello chocolate without the blonde getting suspicious. Sighing softly, he wondered what Near DID like…I mean, you never got people DICE or anything for Valentine's Day.

"But why would you get us chocolate?" Mello asked, interrupting Matt's train of thought and beginning to eat his chocolate. "Damn this shit is good…"

"Linda approached me and offered me chocolate," he started. "When I asked her why she would give me chocolate, she said that today was the day where you are supposed to give chocolate to the people you like. That is why I offered chocolate to Mello and Matt."

Mello immediately froze, the chocolate halfway gone already.

"Today is Valentine's Day…?" Mello asked, whispering to himself, examining the chocolate and then staring at Near.

"Valentine's Day…?" Near said, his face obviously reflecting the fact that he was trying to remember what that was. "That is to celebrate St. Valentine, is it not? I do not recall ever reading much about it, and it is not a holiday I normally celebrate, so would Mello or Matt mind explaining a small bit about it to me?"

"Umm…" Matt started, his eyes darting around the room and looking everywhere but at Near. "You kinda give chocolate to the people you LIKE like…"

"But I like both Mello and Matt…" he said, cocking his head with a slightly confused expression on his face. "Are we not friends?"

"What Matt means is that you give it to people you feel…how would you say this…have a crush on?"

"Ah," was all Near said, trying to conceal a flaming blush that was spreading across his face. "I was not aware of that."

Near, trying to conceal his blush, moved back over to the windowsill and turned his head, pretending to look out the window. Matt could see that he was still as red as a tomato, and he was tugging on his hair nervously, rather than twirling it.

"Hey, chocolate is chocolate," said Mello, continuing to eat the Valentine's chocolate.

"Yeah, Near, you didn't know…" Matt said, opening the chocolate box and pretending Near had given it to him knowing it was Valentine's Day. "Nothing to be embarrassed about!"

"I never implied I was embarrassed, did I?" he asked, turning back around to look at the two of them, having managed to get his blush under control.

Neither Matt nor Mello really had a reply to that, so they just kind of shrugged and went back to eating their chocolate, still both pretending that Near knew it was Valentine's Day when he gave them the chocolate.

---

"Well, that was…awkward," Light commented, smirking slightly at Near's embarrassment. "I sorta feel bad for the pipsqueak."

"I mean, that might be embarrassing!" Matsuda said energetically, his eyes reflecting his empathy. "I-I did stuff like that all the time when I was a kid!"

"We know, Matsuda. We know," Ide said, rolling his eyes.

L ignored them, and they all began to pay attention again as the tape started up for the umpteenth time, the screen flickering on to reveal the hall outside of Near's door. Wait…according to the clock in the corner of the screen, it was only six-thirty in the morning…why would Matt and Mello be up that early, and if they were, why would they be standing fully dressed, backpacks in hand, and last but not least-- outside of Near's room?

* * *

**End Note: **Hope ya'll enjoyed all of Near's social awkwardness! Anyways, I need your guy's help…I know what I want them to do, but I need some inspiration for any fun little things they could do in the coming future.

*sigh* I'm asking for help from my readers. Does that make me a terrible wannabe-author? It does, doesn't it? ;__;

~FragilePuzzle


	10. Escape

**A/N: **I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to all of the AWESOME people that gave me ideas, and I will probably use them ALL. Remember, if you ever have an idea, I am always glad to hear it~

So anyways, thank you to: oztan, PissyNovelist, angelofyouth1427, Lady Laran, and cheyjeevas~

However, PLEASE don't read the reviews. They might contain *gasps* SPOILERS!!!

* * *

'According to the clock in the corner of the screen, it was only six-thirty in the morning…why would Matt and Mello be up that early, and if they were, why would they be standing fully dressed, backpacks in hand, and last but not least-- outside of Near's room?' L wondered, nibbling on his thumbnail and watching the tape unblinkingly.

---

"Near," Mello whispered, beginning to knock softly on the door. "Near, open your dumb ass up!"

"Ooh, suggestive," said Matt, wiggling his eyebrows at Mello and earning a rough punch from the blonde.

About thirty seconds after the blonde began knocking, Near shuffled over to the door and unlocked it, looking very sleepy. His hair was even curlier and messier than usual, and he was only wearing a pajama top and boxers with a pair of clean white socks covering his dainty feet.

"Come in…." he said quietly, opening the door and allowing the two of them to enter.

The two older boys quickly walked in, shutting the door softly behind them. They looked at Near, and then at the pink bunny he was holding tightly in his arms, and then at his petite legs sticking out from underneath his too-big shirt, and then back up at his face.

"May I ask why Mello and Matt are knocking on my door at six-thirty in the morning?"

"We're bustin you outta here," said Matt excitedly. "And you're gonna come with us when we go to the city!"

"I do not recall any scheduled trips into the city," said Near, beginning to slowly get dressed.

"That's cause there isn't," said Mello, trying to stare at the stripping Near discreetly.

"We're sneaking out!" said Matt, quickly pointing the camera away from the smaller boy.

"Do Mello and Matt _know_ what will happen if we are caught?" Near asked, turning around and looking at them as he was unbuttoning his pajama top.

"We've never gotten caught before, so if you're going to come, hurry up and COME before Roger wakes up!" hissed Mello, knowing that Roger could wake up any second…the last thing he wanted was to be caught in Near's room at some obscene hour of the morning.

"………"

"Near, look, if we get caught, Roger will think we're kidnapping you or something," Matt said, smiling at him.

"Oh, and get some normal clothes on, weirdo," said Mello, gesturing to the pair of fresh pajamas he had just put on.

Near rolled his eyes as he began to strip and get dressed once again, pulling out a pair of girly-looking black slacks along with a plain cream-colored turtleneck that looked as if they had never been worn before. Pulling them on, he turned back around to look at Mello and Matt, his cheeks slightly red because of how warm the turtleneck was when they were still inside the heated orphanage.

"Near, you own something _besides_ pajamas?" Mello snorted, looking at his new outfit. "You look like a chick, by the way."

"Yes, I do own other articles of clothing…I do not enjoy wearing them, but I do have them."

"He doesn't look like a…_chick_…maybe…" Matt said halfheartedly. "A feminine boy…?"

Near did look like a girl. He looked prettier than a girl. His white curls framed his face, the cream color of the sweater making his eyes stand out. The tight and slightly thin cotton turtleneck was doing a good job of showing off his petite figure, and the way his fingertips barely stood out from underneath the sleeves was…cute, in a way. The black slacks, Mello decided, were definitely taken from the women's department. They made his legs look a lot longer, and the whole outfit made him look a bit older in general.

Maybe it was the fact that he wasn't wearing pajamas and carrying a pink bunny around, but either way, he looked a lot more mature. Well, except for the fact that he was squirming around like he desperately had to use the restroom.

"Is something wrong?" Matt asked, watching him try and adjust himself.

"These clothes are not the most comfortable…" he explained, continuing to try and adjust himself.

"Let's just get going before Roger wakes up, yeah?" said Mello, grabbing the two of them and hauling them out to the entryway of the building.

Near managed to grab a cream-colored scarf before he was yanked out the door by Mello, Matt following closely behind. Near wondered why the doors to the orphanage weren't locked, but he supposed that there was no way they would be able to get past the large gates in the front anyways. He had no idea what Mello and Matt were thinking when they came up with this "genius" plan.

"Hold this," demanded Matt, thrusting the camcorder to Near.

The smaller boy took the camcorder in his hands, wondering what Matt and Mello were going to do. He focused it on the two of them as they scaled the large iron gate, getting to the top and dropping down to the other side. Smiling at him through the bars, Matt asked him to pass the camcorder over, and Near complied. However, when they looked at him expectantly, his eyes widened.

"Mello and Matt do not really expect me to be able to climb…_that_, do they?"

"Yup, now hurry up and do it, we don't have all day," Mello demanded, adjusting the weight of his backpack on his shoulders.

Near seemed to gulp before adjusting his hands on the bar at eye level, hoisting himself up so that his feet were resting on the lowest bar, about two feet off of the ground. He continued to scale the gate slowly, Mello checking the door to the orphanage every few seconds to make sure that Roger hadn't spotted them. However, once the small boy reached the top and flipped a leg over to the other side, his hand slipped and he lost his grip, scaring the shit out of both Matt and Mello. He managed to regain his balance and make it down the other side of the gate, arriving on the ground next to Mello and Matt, his face as red as a tomato.

"Hurry up, we gotta get at least a block away before he spots us!" said Mello urgently, dragging the two of them along until they were a few blocks away from the orphanage.

"Okay, we should go get breakfast…" Matt said, looking at Near. "He's probably hungry, right?"

"I am fine. I am used to going without—"

Near was cut off by a loud rumble of his stomach, which he immediately tried to cover up by coughing. Mello just rolled his eyes and began to walk down the street, Matt following him close behind, even though his air suggested he knew where they were going. Near followed the both of them like a little lost puppy, getting lots of stares from the people that were already out and about. He only shied away from them, trying his best to hide behind the two older boys…not to say they weren't attracting a lot of attention themselves. Mello's blonde hair was flying out behind him as he walked in the center of the sidewalk like he owned the place, and then there was 5'7" tall Matt, his bright red hair flying every which way, his eyes shielded from the wind by his goggles, his furry winter vest looking…unique, to say the least. Near wondered where he had gotten it. Near followed close behind, his face red from the cold, his free hand going up to twirl his white curls, and having to practically run to keep up with the two older boys.

All three of them were desperate to get out of the freezing February winds, so when they finally arrived at the small café, they each let out a sigh of relief as the warm air from inside hit their shivering bodies. Near was glad he had decided to grab the scarf in advance. They were immediately escorted to a table, just big enough for the three of them, and a cheery waitress came up to serve them.

"Mello, Matt, I haven't seen the two of you in a while!" she said happily. "I was getting to miss the two of you little troublemakers!"

"Hi, Miharu," Matt said, still shivering.

"Who's your cute little friend?" she asked, gesturing to the shivering puffball that was Near.

"This is Near," Mello said, a hint of pride in his voice. "He lives at the orphanage with us."

"Aw, _this_ is Near?" she asked, bending down as to get a better look at him. "He's even cuter than you told me he was! I know you said he was adorable, but he's so _fluffy_! He makes me want to _pet_ him! He totally needs a romantic seme boyfriend to protect him, and—EEEEEEE! You three are SO CUTE TOGETHER!!"  
Mello and Matt both flushed a bright red, looking at her with expressions that could not only kill, but probably get away with mass homicide. However, she continued to ignore them, instead flipping out her waitressing pad and asking for their orders, still giggling every time she looked at the three of them.

"Hot chocolate…" Mello grumbled, shooting her another dirty look.

"I'll have toast and eggs…" said Matt, now fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

"Pancakes, please," said Near, looking up at her with his normal emotionless face.

"Okie dokie!" she giggled, running back to the kitchen.

The three sat there in silence for a minute, Mello fuming at Miharu's idiocy, Matt still blushing a beet red, and Near cocking his head at the two of them, wondering why they thought he was adorable.

"Do Matt and Mello truly think of me as 'adorable?'" he asked quietly, still staring at the two of them.

"Mello said you looked like a little fluffy snowman!" Matt blurted out, his hand slapping itself over his mouth a moment later.

"N-No I didn't! I said you looked like the…the ugly _Abominable _Snowman!!" he said quickly. "I don't think you're cute at all, and even if I did, it would be cute like somebody thinks of when you think of a _puppy_ and that doesn't mean I like you AT ALL, because even if you think a _puppy_ is cute doesn't mean you have to LIKE it, now does it?"

"If it makes Mello feel any better, Matt said himself that he thought your hair looked like it would be fun to brush," Near piped up, looking at the two of them.

"Let's talk about something else, shall we?" Matt suggested, turning away from the both of them.

"Here's your food~!" said Miharu, walking back up and setting the plates on the table, leaving a can of whipped cream as well. "You can keep the whipped cream, in case you need it later~!"

She giggled and ran off again before Mello or Matt even had time to process that she was not referring to putting the whipped cream on their food.

* * *

**End Note: **Haha, last chapter, people thought that Matt and Mello were leaving the orphanage…I wouldn't do that. I cry whenever I watch that scene…little Near, left all alone…*sobs* And before you even ask, that waitress is ME! *laughs maniacally* My dad says that if I don't start working harder, the only job I'm going to be able to GET is a waitress…but don't worry, I just put her in there as a cameo. I dun like OCs.

Review or I might make poor little Near fall into the sewer or something! *shot* …kidding, kidding…maybe. O.o

~FragilePuzzle


	11. Fear

**A/N: **Yay for the next chapter! Now that they're in the city, what kind of crazy antics will Mello and Matt put Near up to? Find out NOW~

BTW: I noticed that some people are asking for lemon. This is a SHOTA story, people! You must be sick and TWISTED to want to see a SHOTA lemon…however; it's pretty lucky for you that I am sick and twisted as well. : 3

* * *

Miharu left their food on the table and Matt set the camcorder on the shelf of the window, the glass of the window seeming to radiate cold, even on camera. Near looked at his pancakes strangely, taking his fork and prodding at them before deciding that the syrup-drenched, whipped-cream-covered, topped-with-a-cherry, mini-cakes were safe to eat. He stabbed a bite off and put it into his mouth, letting the sweetness hit his tastebuds like a tidal wave.

"W-what IS this?" he sputtered, quickly taking a drink of his water.

Mello and Matt both looked at him confusedly, wondering why he ordered pancakes if he didn't know what they were.

"Pan-cakes," said Mello slowly, talking to him as if he were retarded. "Those are called pan-caaaaakes."

Near just gave him his normal blank stare, downing almost the whole rest of his water before speaking up again.

"They are too sweet," he said, looking at the syrup-drenched mess that now resided on his plate.

Matt quickly took a bite, Near pushing his plate towards the redhead. Nodding, Matt took another bite, getting some of the whipped cream as well. Mello snatched Near's fork out from between his forefinger and thumb, where he had been holding it delicately, as L always did. The blonde violently ripped off a piece, twirling it around in the syrup before putting it in his mouth. Both boys nodded, and looked at him strangely.

"It tastes _fine_," Mello insisted, taking yet another bite, then a sip of his hot chocolate.

Near shook his head, pushing the plate towards the middle of the table. He couldn't stand sweet things. However, as soon as he did that, Miharu quickly came running back to the table, big grin on her face. Giggling and grinning, it didn't seem that she could stop _fangirling_ over Near…Mello remembered that the first time the two of them came there, she wouldn't stop talking about how cute Mello was, and something about _shota yaoi_ or whatever the hell that was.

She then turned around and beckoned two of her other friends, who also appeared to work there, over to the table. The other two squealed almost as loud as she had the first time, beginning to fawn over 'adorable little Near.'

"Ohmy_gosh_, he is just too _cute_!" one girl said, giving him a tight hug.

"He's so _fluffy_!!" exclaimed the other girl, fluffing his curls.

Mello and Matt just jawdropped as these girls touched him…Near shouldn't be _touched_. Especially not by anybody but the two of THEM. They were hugging him, playing with his curly hair, "_awww_"-ing over his baby-soft cheeks, telling him how much he looked just like a little baby angel…they were crazy, rabid-ass, fangirls. Near however, had no idea how to react to the situation. He just pulled a knee up to his chest, twirling his hair nervously as the girls continued to suffocate him.

"Hey, I just remembered, we have to get going!" Mello said suddenly, standing up. He used to torture Near all of the time, but he was never THIS cruel.

"Yeah, we really gotta, or we'll be late!" agreed Matt, standing up and placing the money on the table.

Mello quickly grabbed the traumatized Near's wrist, dragging him out of the fangirl's grasps. Matt waved a quick goodbye before following the two of them back out into the cold, being halfway down the street before Near realized he had forgotten his scarf.

"My scarf…" he said quietly, beckoning back to the small café.

"No way. No way in HELL are we going back in there," Mello said, his eyes blank. "Not with them. Not again."

"_Neeeeeeeee-channnnnnnn!_" yelled Miharu, running down the street after the three of them.

"God no…" Matt whispered. "She's come back to get him."

Catching up to the three of them, she only handed Near his scarf, looking at the three of them in turn. Without even saying a word, she giggled and ran back to the café, falling into a heap of giggles with her two friends upon arriving back in the doorway.

"Run while you still can…" whispered Mello, the three of them taking off.

---

Light's eyes widened. He never knew that there were crazy girls like that…they made him want to scream and run for his mommie.

"Light…are there _really_ girls like that?" Matsuda asked, looking at Light like he knew it all.

Suddenly, for some reason, everybody in the room thought of Misa.

---

After the boys had deemed that they were far enough away to be considered "safe," Matt got the camcorder back out, focusing on a tall building a couple of streets down.

"That's where we're headed!" he said cheerily. "We're gonna go see a movie!"

Mello quickly began running towards the building, Matt quickly going after the blonde. Near sighed before beginning to chase after the two of them, his arms to his chest, trying to both keep him warm and keep his scarf over his face. The cold, whistling wind made his throat hurt when he would breathe in, but he would not admit his weakness to either of the older boys.

Within minutes, they arrived outside of the movie theatre, bursting through the revolving doors and into the warmth of the lobby. Near and Matt were both shivering madly, but Mello pretended that he had not been affected by the cold at all. The blonde just flipped his hair over his shoulder, crossing his arms.

"You guys are pussies," he said, rolling his eyes at the both of them, despite the fact that he was shivering as well. "N-now, what movie should we see?"

Near just kept his arms to his chest, looking at both Matt and Mello with a look that clearly said, "I really don't know what to pick in fear of offending somebody, so you may choose for all of us."

As Mello's eyes were scanning the list of movies playing, they seemed to rest on one in particular. He poked Matt and gestured to the movie he wanted to see, and the redhead looked back and Near before shrugging and nodding vigorously. If Near had been paying any attention, he probably should have been worried for his safety, because they looks the older boys had on their faces screamed pure excitement. Most things that they found exciting…Near did not share the same enthusiasm for, to say the least. However, Mello grabbed the small boy and pulled him up to the ticket desk, going to another person that they probably knew.

"Hey!" the blonde said, an enthusiastic grin on his face. "We want three tickets to go see the new, remastered _Texas Chainsaw Massacre_."

"Sure thing, Mels," said the boy behind the counter, handing them the tickets. "Have fun, and don't forget to sleep with the night-light on tonight!"

"Pshh, night-lights are for babies," said Mello confidently, grabbing the two of them and hauling them into the theatre.

Inside of the room, it was dark, and the camcorder could only make out the silhouettes of Mello and Near as the three sat down. Matt chose their seats right smack-dab in the middle of the theatre, making sure that they would not only get the best picture, but the best sound as well.

"Have you ever watched a horror movie, Near?" Matt asked, focusing the camera on his pale face, which was illuminated by the glow of the movie screen.

"No, I have not," Near said, pulling a knee to his chest and beginning to twirl his hair. "However, I have heard that they are usually not very intelligent, and only scare the weak-minded."

"Mmm, the weak-minded, huh?" Matt asked, grinning at Mello.

"Yes, that is what I said."

"Well, we'll see you guys after the movie, yeah?" Mello asked, signaling for Matt to turn the camcorder off.

The two older boys waved a goodbye, their grins as big as Glasgow smiles.

---

"Poor Near…" sighed Matsuda. "Even _I've_ never been brave enough to watch that movie."

"Aww, c'mon, it's not—"

The tape suddenly started back up, and the three boys were back out in the lobby. Matt was holding the camera, focusing it on Near, who was only standing there disbelievingly. His arm were crossed tightly, his hands clutched on to the fabric of his turtleneck.

"It was an ignorant movie," he said quietly, his eyes reflecting his terror. "As I said, it would only scare the weak-minded."

Unknownst to Near, Mello was slowly sneaking up behind him, placing a finger over his lips as if telling the watcher of the tapes to stay silent. The blonde was right behind him…and…

"You're saying that you weren't afraid _at all_?" Matt asked Near, looking at him strangely.

"That is correct."

Just then, Mello made the most convincing chainsaw noise anybody had ever heard, grabbing Near tightly around the waist and lifting him into the air. The small boy kicked and struggled, letting out earsplitting shrieks that echoed throughout the entire lobby, screaming something about, "Please, not the meathooks!!!"

Mello and Matt went into hysteric gigglefits as Mello set Near back down on the ground, the latter's face beet red with embarrassment as well as the strain of struggling and screaming at the top of his lungs.

"You were too scared!" said Matt, ignoring the blatant stares of everybody else in the theatre.

"N-no I was not!" Near protested, crossing his arms protectively across his chest.

"_Please, please, not the meathooks_!" Mello cried dramatically, putting a hand to his forehead and mocking Near.

"I-I…!"

Near only flushed, looking away from the both of them. He hated being mocked.

* * *

**End Note: **Don't judge me. You know you would fawn over Near if you got to see him for real. _

~FragilePuzzle


	12. Trouble

**A/N: **Guys, I just want to know that I will love you forever if you review. Just thought you might want to know that. I will seriously love you.

* * *

By this time, Matt was panning the camcorder across the lobby of the theater, recording all of the people that were staring at the three of them. Near in particular. You couldn't blame them, I suppose. I mean, Near had just been shrieking bloody murder a moment ago…but still. They didn't have to be so _rude_ and _blatant_ about staring. They weren't even trying to avert their eyes, and practically getting eye-humped by a few people was making Near quite nervous.

"May we take our leave now?" he asked, looking at Mello and Matt with wide eyes. "I do not…feel comfortable with many people staring at me."

"Why not?" Mello asked, flipping is hair over his shoulder as he normally did. "Let them stare."

"Mels, not everyone is as GORGEOUS as you," Matt said, obviously joking.

"I know~!" Mello said, taking Matt as being serious. "But, Near can't be THAT bad looking, because those guys over there keep checking him out."

Near simply brought his free hand up to his hair, beginning to twirl his platinum locks as he normally did. However…he seemed a bit…miffed? The look on his face was blank, but his body stance was rigid and he did not make eye contact with either of the other boys.

"Why would they be doing that?" he asked, also noticing the boys that were currently eye-raping him.

"Cause you look like a _chick_… A hot chick, and ugly guy, is what I meant," Mello said, shrugging.

"You're one to talk…"coughed Matt

"I am NOT an ugly guy, and you'd be an UGLY chick!" Mello said, flipping his hair over his shoulder and ignoring the fact that Matt just said he looked like a hot girl.

"Really; I'D be an ugly girl?"

"Yeah, you'd be a butt-ugly girl."

"When we get back to the orphanage, we'll see who looks better in Linda's skirts, then."

"Fine!"

"It's on, then!"

"You can't even compare to me…but I get the pink skirt, cause pink goes good with blonde, y'know."

"What color would go good with _red_?"

"Mm, maybe brown…green might look good on you though."

"You sound SO gay right now."

"I know. So do you."

"I know."

After they both looked at each other, busting out laughing, they turned back to Near. He was ignoring their antics, instead, focusing on the floor, his hand still entwined in his soft hair. Mello looked over to see that the guys standing over by the wall were still there, and they were blatantly staring at the younger boy now. Mello let out a dramatic sigh as Near looked at them, warily waving back when he saw that they were waving at him.

"Don't wave back, you dolt," said Mello, smacking him in the arm. "That only encourages them!"

"What would Mello like me to do, then?" Near asked softly, his eyes darting back and forth between Mello and the other boys, trying to judge which was the lesser of two obviously evil evils.

"Now, don't freak out, I'm just going to help you, okay?"

Near nodded, deciding that it would be safer to trust Mello. The blonde wrapped an arm around Near's waist, pulling their bodies closer and bringing his lips to Near's neck, allowing him to whisper into the smaller boy's ear without anybody seeing.

"Moan," he said softly, his lips moving down to his collarbone and shoulder. "I'm not really going to _do_ this, I hope you know."

"…M-mmn…?"

The other boys looked slightly put-off, but that didn't stop them from watching.

"I'm sorry!" Matt said to them, gesturing to Mello and Near. "They're lesbian together! Damn girls, amirite?"

Both Near and Mello looked at him, death in Mello's eyes and slight amusement in Near's. Mello saw said amusement and brought his mouth to Near's lips instead of his neck, determined to wipe that small grin off of his face. He pressed their lips together fiercely, giving Near the second kiss of his life, and having his second as well.

Pulling away and grabbing Near's arm, he yelled a loud and probably unnecessary, "Let's go, babe," before walking out the door. Matt gigglesnorted and ran after them, the blast of cold air fogging up the lens of the camcorder.

"Mels, you—"

"Talk to me and die," Mello said, turning around and shooting Matt a death glare, stopping the redhead in his tracks.

"All I wanted to say was that I can't believe you kissed Near _willingly_…I mean, the first time, it was an accident, right?"

"A kiss is not very significant," Near said quietly, turning around and looking back at Matt. "If you think about it, a simple kiss is not much more intimate than any other brushing of the flesh."

"Right!" Mello agreed.

"Of course it's not a big deal…" giggled Matt, trying his best to hide his jealousy. "I mean, even though you guys—"

Matt was cut off when Near pushed the camcorder out of the way, placing his arm down by his side and softly touching their lips together with the redhead's first kiss. The camcorder dropped from his hands in shock, and if it weren't for the handy-dandy wrist strap, it would have fallen and shattered on the concrete.

"It was a simple kiss," he repeated softly, his face red from reasons other than the cold.

Now it was Mello who didn't seem to think of it as just a 'simple kiss.' As Matt lifted the camcorder up and focused it back on Mello and Near, Mello just looked even angrier than he had before.

"I need some chocolate," he insisted, beginning to walk down to where he knew the drugstore was.

"Right…" Matt muttered, following the two of them.

They arrived at the drugstore a few minutes later, Mello immediately running over to the aisle filled with sweets and grabbing three or four chocolate bars. Near just wandered over next to him, his eyes taking in just how _many_ different kinds of sweets there were.

"You can get something, too, if you want," Matt offered, grabbing himself a Snickers bar.

"No thank you," he said, his hands instinctively going up and covering his chest protectively.

"Oh _fuck_…" Mello hissed, looking at the clock that resided on the wall. "We're gonna be late for room check!"

"Room…check?"

Mello and Matt didn't answer him, they just dropped the candy they were holding and grabbed on to Near, dragging him out of the front door. The small boy stumbled behind the two, doing his best to keep up with their long strides. They were five blocks away from the orphanage now…four…three…two…one…the front gates of the orphanage were in sight, and the three quickly ran up to them. All of them were panting furiously as they began to scale the large iron bars, but it was too late. Roger walked up to the bottom of the gate just as the three boys reached the top.

"Mello…Matt…" he started slowly, a very dangerous tone in his voice. "I would have expected something like this from the two of you…you will be sent to detention every night for the next _month_. No objections. Now, please come down here and go inside. You are to go wait in your rooms; and I will talk to you in a moment."

Matt banged his head on the metal of the gate, defeated and caught, sighing as he and Mello made their way down. However, Near was still at the top of the gate, one leg resting on either side, looking terrified.

"Near, please come down here. At once."

Near made his way down, jumping from the bar that rested a few feet above the ground and landing gracefully in front of the older man. His cheeks were beet red from a combination of the cold, running, and the sheer embarrassment of being caught red-handed like this. Mello and Matt stood behind Roger, waiting outside in the cold…for him.

"Near, I will need to talk to you in my office. We have very serious matters to discuss; concerning what 'future' you might have if you continue to associate yourself with Mello and Matt."

Near nodded silently, his eyes focused on the ground as he followed Roger back inside, not even glancing up as he walked right past the two other boys. His hands were wringing his scarf, and he occasionally stumbled, the weight of the world seemingly on his shoulders.

"Fuck…" Matt whispered after the two had gotten inside. "Mels, this is all our fault…I mean, usually Roger just assigns detention on the SPOT. He almost never talks to you about it first…and that whole thing about his 'future?' I mean, what…?"

"We'd better get inside," deadpanned Mello.

Matt nodded in agreement, and the two quickly ran into the warmth of the orphanage. However, instead of going to their room as they were instructed, it seemed that they both thought the same thing at the same time. Both boys ran the opposite way of their bedroom, heading towards…Roger's office. They peeked in the door, recording the entire conversation.

"Near, I am very disappointed in you, especially of late."

Near said nothing, but kept steady eye contact with the older man. He was sitting in a plain chair in front of Roger's desk, his knee to his chest and his fingers tangled in his curly hair.

"You have gotten a zero. You have gotten detention. You have _snuck out of the orphanage_. Do you know the consequences of that?"

"No, sir, I do not."

"You will have a month's detention along with Mello and Matt, but you will not serve yours with them. They are a bad influence on you. Instead of cleaning the orphanage with the two, you will be studying in an isolated classroom. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," Near said quietly, a look of hopelessness on his face.

"If your scores continue to slide like this, you will lose your spot as L's successor. The only reason you hold it so firmly from Mello is because of the difference in your attitudes and behavior. However, if you continue to act as you are, you will forfeit your spot, and be kicked out of the competition for the title. Do you understand?"

Near's eyes widened in horror, and the small boy bit his lip, nodding.

"I…I understand, sir."

"I am glad to hear that. Next time Mello tries to influence you into doing something you know is against the rules, I would warn you against doing so. In fact, I would not be surprised if Mello purposely got you caught. He probably knows all about the fact that bad behavior would get you in serious trouble, Near. Now, please, remember that next time you talk to Mello."

"Yes, sir," Near whispered. "He probably knew all along…"

* * *

**End Note: **Drama-rama-llama! Oh noes, Near is believing Roger...he thinks that Mello and Matt have been pretending this whole time, and that they were purposely getting him in trouble, and TRYING to knock him out of his number one spot! *le gasp* Review or.....or......I'll think of something, don't you worry.

~FragilePuzzle


	13. Bleed

**A/N: **I seriously jizzed in my pants when I got my hundredth review. Not even kidding.

Okay, well, maybe kidding a little. But seriously, thank you guys so much for reading and reviewing! *sends love to you all* Now is when the story begins to get really angsty and depressing for a while...but maybe it'll get better. It depends on my mood.

* * *

"Yes, sir," Near whispered. "He probably knew all along…"

Roger nodded solemnly as he saw a look of realization hit Near, the old man standing up and handing Near a large stack of textbooks before shooing the small boy out the door. With a final, "detention is at eight-o-clock sharp!" the door was unfeelingly shut behind him, leaving the small boy out in the hallway.

Luckily, Mello and Matt had made it to the nearby storage closet in time. This time, Near didn't even bother to look for them as he headed back to his room. The small boy only shuffled off towards his bedroom, probably going to stay there for the rest of the day.

"Mels…" Matt whispered, nothing visible in the darkness of the closet.

"Shut up!" hissed Mello. "You're going to let him know we're in here!"  
"Please, move your hand…it's in a _really_ awkward place."

Mello made a small noise of surprise and moved his hand, thus lightning the pressure on Matt's groin. The redhead let out a small sigh of relief as he signaled for Mello to get up off of his lap as well, so that the two of them could get out of the closet and make it back to their room before Roger could get there.

"Let's go," Mello whispered, running off to their room and trying to hide the blush on his face.

He hadn't meant to do that…he really hadn't…but he had known he was, and he didn't move his hand. If Matt hadn't said anything, he probably wouldn't have, either. It made him feel like he was betraying Near, in a way. I mean, the poor boy had private detention with ROGER of all people…and they knew that those never ended well. They were usually hours upon hours of endless lecturing…not to mention that Near thought they purposely got him busted. They would have to talk to him tomorrow.

After the two of them got to their bedroom, Matt waved goodbye and quickly turned the camcorder off, just as Roger walked in the door.

---

The next time the camcorder turned on, it was early in the morning. The sun hadn't even risen yet, and it was Matt who was awake. The redhead smacked Mello in the head, trying to wake him up so they could talk to Near before Roger caught them anywhere near Near, no pun intended.

"Mello, get up!" he hissed, yanking the covers off his sleeping body. "We gotta go see Near before Roger gets up!"

"Mn…." Mello mumbled, sitting up sleepily. "L-Let's go…"

They both went down to the playroom, knowing that Near always went there early in the morning, as to relax in the solace of the sunrise while the other children slept. Mello didn't even bother to knock as he entered the playroom, causing Near's eyes to shoot towards the door. The small boy was sitting underneath a tall window, just doing his blank puzzle that Mello and Matt had rescued for him.

"Mello and Matt are not supposed to be here," he said, his voice as empty and unemotional as it was when they had first met. It no longer held the same life it had when they had gotten him to open up to them…Matt could tell, and he missed it.

"Look, do you _seriously_ believe ROGER over US?" Mello asked angrily, balling his hands into fists.

"Roger has no reason to lie," he said, finally looking up at the two of them.

"Near, why would we do something like that?" asked Matt, the camcorder shaking slightly with the nervousness of his hands.

Near did not reply, he only lifted a hand to twirl his hair. However, as he did this, his baggy pajama sleeve slid down slightly to reveal his wrist. Matt was busy staring at the floor, but Mello still had his eyes intently on Near, and he noticed the strawberry gashes that covered his pale wrist. Near looked up once more, and saw that his wrist was exposed, and quickly hid it from them, going back to his puzzle like nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Mello dragged Matt outside of the room, slamming the door behind him and seemingly forgetting what they had even come here for.

"Matt, Near's a cutter!" he whispered, looking back towards the door. "There were cuts _all over_ his wrist!"

"Mello, stop being stupid…" mumbled Matt, still looking sad that Near didn't believe them. "Near wouldn't cut. He's too smart to do stupid stuff like that…You were probably just seeing things…"

"I'm telling you, I know what I saw…but wait a minute…" the blonde mused, biting his lip. "I know how I can prove it to you, since I'll bet you he's not going to let it slip again."

"Mels, you're being stupid," Matt said, defeated tone in his voice. "But whatever."

The redhead flicked off the camera, causing the whole screen to go black.

---

The taskforce watched as Matt flicked the camcorder back on, Mello being the first thing the lens saw. They were in Near's room, and L could tell that Mello and Matt were not supposed to be in there. They were obviously doing something they shouldn't be, and they knew it. They continually looked around, as if they were nervous somebody might find them in there, said somebody probably being Near. However, as soon as Mello gestured to Matt, the redhead ran over to one of Near's toy shelves, hiding the camcorder there. They quickly ran out, shutting the door behind him, and you could hear their footsteps thudding down the nearby corridor, running away from Near's room.

A few minutes later, Near came walking in, back from his detention. He shut and locked the door behind him, letting out a defeated sigh as he slouched down on the floor, curling up into a ball. Suddenly, he got up and lifted his mattress, pulling out a small black object. After it was safely in his hand, he made sure the door was locked before sitting up against his wall, the black object still in hand. He flicked what looked like a small switch on it, making a deathly-sharp-looking blade pop out, and making himself flinch as well.

Taking a deep breath, Near held out his wrist and looked away, dragging it across quickly. He let out a cross between a gasp of pain, and a sigh of relief and shakily dropped the knife on the floor, his eyes affixed on his now-bleeding wrist.

"Am I human now…?" he whispered, his eyes seeming to look at his wrist for the answer. "I can f-feel it…and it h-hurts…"

He leaned his head back against the wall, making sure to catch the blood slowly dripping off of his wrist. Letting it bleed for a few more seconds before standing up, his legs shaky, he pulled a thin strip of plain white cloth out of his dresser. He quickly wrapped it around his wrist, stopping the bleeding. Finally, he began to get changed into his pajamas, folding up his dirty ones as he always did, continuing on with his night as usual. He hid the switchblade under his mattress again, lying down in his bed as soon as he was sure it was safe.

However, a few minutes later, Mello and Matt came into the room. Near raised his head slightly, just to see who it was, but laid it back down a second later. Mello gestured to Matt, signaling that he should go get the camcorder while Near was facing the other way, and Mello pretended to be emptying the boy's garbage.

"You shouldn't believe him, Near…" Matt said softly, the two of them quickly walking out of the room as they held the camcorder in their hands.

They ran back to their bedroom, camcorder in hands, and quickly turned it off so they could watch playback.

---

The next day, the two boys were in Near's room again. They had somber looks on their faces; ones that any adult would agree do not belong on a child. They hid the camcorder again, in the same spot as yesterday, before slowly leaving the room, Mello's eyes lingering on Near's mattress. A few minutes later, Near came in once again, back from his detention. He looked even worse than he had the day before, his eyes hollow and empty, his lips pale, and his hair not as curly and fluffy as it usually was. He looked like he had some kind of terrible illness that was eating him from the inside out, as mean as that sounded.

He reached under his mattress as he had the day before, not knowing that Mello and Matt were right outside his room, just waiting for him to give them the opportunity to burst in. The small boy sat down against the wall, forgetting to lock the door this time. He flicked the blade out, not flinching today…he looked too dead to do something as human as flinch.

Near took a deep breath before rolling his sleeve up, holding his wrist out…it would hurt…it always did…but it made him _feel_ something. Closing his eyes, he pressed the blade of the knife to his skin, dragging it across the length of his wrist. He let out a small, breathy gasp of pain as a small bit of blood oozed from underneath the metal, the feeling of the cold blade becoming warmer as it was exposed to his blood a satisfying one. His eyes closed as he pressed it in deeper, determined to show everybody, including himself, that he was human. He knew that this was illogical, that the fact he was raped was not his fault, and he was still human no matter if his expressed his feelings or not, but his brain was clouded over with so many emotions…they had been bottled up inside of him too long, and allowed to rot.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open as he heard loud knocking at the door. He sighed deeply, gladly dropping the blood-coated blade on the floor, relieved that somebody had stopped him. He didn't want to do it…but everybody, especially Mello, always said he wasn't human enough-- that he had no feelings. Maybe, if he could just show them that he had feelings, they would like him more…then Mello and Matt would accept him…

Kicking the switchblade underneath his dresser, Near rolled down his sleeve, trying his best to hide the blood that was seeping out of the gash. He grabbed a plain white cloth, pressing it to the cut and tying it around his wrist as to keep the blood from staining his crisp white pajamas as well as to hide the injury from anybody, and walked over to the door. He made sure that his pajama sleeve hid the cloth before opening the door, Mello and Matt standing on the other side.

"Hello," he said hollowly. "The two of you know you are not supposed to be here, so—"

"Move," Mello demanded, shoving him out of the way and shutting the door behind them. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

"Excuse me?" asked Near, his voice soft and monotone.

"Don't lie to me, I know you are."

"Would Mello care to explain what it is that I am doing?"

Mello quickly pushed him up against the wall, pinning his wrists above his head and ripping down his shirtsleeves, exposing the cloth that covered the length of his left wrist and forearm.

"Matt, grab the camcorder," he said, signaling to the device, which was hidden among Near's many shelves of toys.

The redhead obeyed, a sad expression on his face as his eyes traveled over to the small boy. He grabbed the camcorder and, not really sure what to do, he just set it back down on Near's dresser.

"That's how we knew," Mello said, noticing Near's confusion as he untied the bloody cloth, dropping it on the floor. "Matt didn't think you would. He thought you were smarter than that, but I knew what I saw. So, we snuck it in here, and came back to get it when we were 'cleaning' the orphanage."

"It is neither Matt nor Mello's business what I do when I am alone," said Near, his voice cold and unfeeling.

"You hurt yourself, Near…" Matt said quietly, looking at Near with that kicked-puppy-dog expression on his face. "That IS our business…we're your friends, remember?"

Suddenly, Near's look hardened, he tried to struggle out of Mello's grasp, but the blonde only continued to hold him tightly.

"Do not lie to me," he demanded, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Mello and Matt were never, and are not people I would consider my friends. Roger explained to me…that Mello and Matt wish nothing more than to knock me out of the race for becoming L's successor."

"Near, I can't believe that you would eat up that bullshit Roger told you!" Mello yelled. "He's just mad cause you're not perfect little Near anymore!"  
"Maybe I wish to be 'perfect little Near.' I was certainly doing better than I am now!" yelled Near, finally showing emotion. "But I am already doing better than when I was with Mello and Matt!"

"You call _this_ doing better?!" Mello practically screamed, grabbing Near's bleeding wrist with his free hand and showing it to him.

A look of hurt flashed across Near's face, one that he was unable to hide. It seemed that being around Mello and Matt forced him to show emotions…he remembered how happy he was a few weeks ago, when they went to the city together. No. He was strong…he wouldn't let stupid memories haunt him.

"Please leave," he said, his voice soft and raw.

"No," Mello said simply, his arms still pinning Near's wrists above his head.

"Mello and Matt are going to get—"

"We don't _care_, Near, because we're your _friends_," said Matt, finally speaking up. "I mean, if we wanted to get you caught doing something bad, I'm sure we could have thought of a way that did NOT involve cleaning the whole orphanage for a month."

"Yeah!" agreed Mello. "I mean, do you think that it's FUN cleaning up everybody's rooms while they get recess…not to mention I don't have ANY chocolate. Not ANY chocolate. If it weren't for Matt, I'd be dead."

"Chocolate?" asked Matt, a small grin on his face.

"Yup," replied Mello, grabbing the chocolate Matt threw to him. "Now, anyways, Near, I hope you know that we're not going anywhere."

"And why does Mello think that?" Near asked, there still being a hint of anger in his voice.

"Because, we're stronger than you, and you can't physically force us out of your room."

Near was silent for a moment before he looked up at Mello from underneath his bangs.

"If Mello and Matt wish to stay, I do not have the right to stop them," he said, his eyes slowly gaining some of their life back.

Near wanted them to stay…he would never admit it, but he wanted them to.

* * *

**End Note: **I know it was a bit irrational to make Near a cutter, but think about it. If you went to a screwed-up orphanage, had all that pressure on you to become the next L, and then you were raped, and your only two friends were taken away from you…you'd be pretty fucked-up too.

And after all, he only wanted to become more human for Mello and Matt. *insert more reasons for fail at angst here*

~FragilePuzzle


	14. Clear

**A/N: **Sorry it took so long…I really don't know where I want to go with this story anymore. I have the ending all planned out, I just have to end up getting there. Bear with me with as I go through this little rut, okay? Plus, this chapter is short...it's kind of just a small transitional chapter.

* * *

Near pulled out of Mello's grip, going to sit down on his bed. He pulled his pink stuffed rabbit he had rescued from Mello and Matt's secret base to his chest, hiding his face in it as well, his whole body wrapped tightly into a small ball. However, he decided to speak up and ruin the moment, breaking Matt and Mello's hearts with his small words.

"Am I human now? I have expressed pain…pain is an emotion…is it not?"

Matt covered his mouth, a cross of disgust and horror, and Mello just crossed his arms and looked away, trying to pretend he wasn't taking it as hard as Matt was.

"Near…tell me honestly, please," Matt asked, sitting down on the bed next to him. "Is that why you hurt yourself?"

The redhead gently took Near's wrist in his hands, pulling up the sleeve and gently unraveling the cloth. The bleeding had stopped already, probably thanks to how tightly the small boy had tied the cloth, but the cuts were still bright red and slightly swollen. Near would not meet Matt's eyes as he nodded, signaling a 'yes' to the gamer's question.

"I have been called inhuman before, and I was tired of it. I am able to express emotions just as easily as anybody else."

"Near…there's plenty of other emotions you could have expressed instead. Why not happiness, or something?" asked Matt, his eyes still searching Near's wrist, as though the answer lied in the strawberry gashes.

"What is there to be happy about, especially in this situation?" Near asked, his face still buried in his rabbit.

"Near," Mello said, his voice merely a whisper, but demanding his full attention. "Look at me."

Near raised his head slowly, looking at Mello unemotionally. The blonde pulled his hand back, and before Near had time to react, slapped the small boy across the face for the second time in his life.

"If you _ever_ do something as fucking stupid as this again; if you _ever_ so much as chip a nail on purpose, I will put you in the hospital for the rest of your life, _do you understand_?" he asked, his voice dripping with venom. "I will hurt you so fucking bad; you will be in a coma until you DIE."

Near looked to Matt for help, but the look that the gamer had in his eyes said the same thing as Mello's. There would be nobody to protect him from confrontation with Mello this time. He pressed his hand to his inflamed cheek, his gray eyes slowly connecting with Mello's ice-blue ones once again.

"I…understand, Mello."

"Now that the shit's hit the fan, the three of us are going to do something, and you are going to fucking listen to me, do you understand?"

Both Near and Matt nodded, looking at the blonde confusedly.

"We are going to _start over_. When I say start over, I mean that we're going to go back…back before anything in the bathroom happened, back before we snuck out, back before detention for a month, back before ANY of this. You're going to become the Near you were on the roof…which was, granted, about three months ago, and I'm pretty sure you've grown almost an inch, but that's beside the point."

"Mello…Mello should understand, more than either Matt or myself, that human emotions cannot change so easily."

"They damn well can if I fucking MAKE them," was Mello's only response.

"It sounds good to me!" said Matt, looking at Near hopefully. "I mean, we can at least try, right?"

"…very well."

"Good," said Mello, his temper cooling down now that both other boys had agreed to his plan. "Now, even though it's technically March, I know that we can…just…pretty much forget everything since New Year's."

"Right!" said Matt.

Near only looked away, pulling his sleeve back down over the cuts. He didn't want Mello or Matt to know, but if he couldn't cut, he would have to find some other way to inflict pain upon himself. Not only did the other children accuse him of not being human, but he occasionally forgot himself. His life was so devoid of anything. His schedule was the same, day in and day out. Work, work, work, all in order to become L's successor. They say it was lonely at the top, but you could never really understand until you got there. He needed to express emotion, any emotion, not only to prove that he was human to others, but also to prove it to himself.

Mello and Matt quickly stood up, a mutual agreement established just by making eye contact. They must have something planned, Near knew this much. However, _what_ that something was, he had no idea. The three of them were not even allowed so much as outdoor recess, as part of their punishment was being confined to the orphanage, and there was nothing very interesting inside. No, scratch that, almost ANYTHING with Mello could be interesting.

"Hey, Near, meet us in our room tonight, yeah?" Matt said, the grin still playing on his lips.

"I suppose…my detention is over at nine-thirty, and curfew is at ten, so I will be there promptly after detention."

"Right~!" said Mello, his lips bearing the same smile Matt's had.

The two older boys left the room, right after picking up the camcorder and waving a goodbye to Near. Once they were out in the hallway, they chuckled slightly, Mello still having the big smile on his face. Whether it was sinister of sincere was hard to tell, especially with the blonde.

"Hey, Matt, I know exactly where we can get the stuff for tonight."

"Okay, but you'll have to get it."

"Yeah, that's what I just said, wasn't it?"

"Okay…I wonder what flavor he likes?"

"You mean Near?"

"Yeah I mean Near, who else would I be talking about?"

"I'unno. Maybe strawberry or vanilla?"

"He seems like a strawberry person to me."

"What's your favorite flavor?"

"Hm…I guess I like mint. Would it be stupid of me not to assume that your favorite is chocolate?"

"Yes, Matt, it really would."

"So, I think we should get strawberry, chocolate, mint, AND vanilla."

"Damn…how many different flavors do you think we'll need?"

"Well, we should at least give him a choice, right? He was the one who agreed to come to our room."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll get all four."

"Okay!"

Mello waved goodbye to the camcorder, smiling one of those mysterious smiles before Matt flicked it off.

---

"Strawberry?" L asked, cocking his head.

"Flavored? I mean, really…" sighed Light. "I had no idea about that kind of stuff when I was that age."

"What kind of orphanage IS this place?" Aizawa asked, his eyes slightly wide.

Matsuda just looked like he was still processing some things.

* * *

**End Note: **Oh my fucking god. I just reread all of Documentary. I hate it. So much. Just…ugh. I hate it. It's so fucking emo and random and shit. *sighs*

Sorry guys, I'm just in a bad mood. Just so you know, I'm probably not going to update my other fics very often until I finish this one. Three months in, and I think I'm going insane. I might feel better after some (a lot of) apple juice and screamo. Maybe a bit of hot slash (AKA lots of gay Death Note pron). Who knows.

~FragilePuzzle


	15. Dance

**A/N: ***sighs* Okay, I'm a little bit less mad at Documentary. Screamo and apple juice do wonders for the mind. But…well…enjoy the chapter! *winkwinknudge* And thank you for all of the supportive reviews…they made me smile and feel better about the story!

* * *

The camera flicked back on when Matt was sitting on his bed, the room empty. Only seconds after he turned the camera on, there was a soft knocking on the door, one that must have been from Near. Mello would never knock, especially on the door of his own room, and almost every other child in the orphanage was too afraid to knock on the door of _Mello's_ room. The redhead set the camcorder on the dresser, walking over and opening the door to allow Near in.

"Matt," he said monotonously, a small nod the only signal he gave to show that he acknowledged the other boy.

"Mello should be back in a minute," said Matt, happy grin on his face. "He just went to go grab something~"

Near nodded again, sitting down on Matt's bed and pulling his knees to his chest. One of his hands immediately went to his hair, and the small boy didn't so much as flinch when Matt threw himself down on the bed next to him. It was apparent SOMEBODY had a bit too much energy that he needed to get rid of, as the redhead was now bouncing up and down, his eyes searching the room for one of his precious game systems. The green orbs finally landed on his DS, and he quickly jumped off of the bed and grabbed it, opening it and flicking it on. Even Near recognized the music that hummed from the tiny speakers.

"Mario," he said, looking at Matt with a small smile. "I recognize the music."

"Yupyup! It's New Super Mario Brothers~" said Matt, smile growing wider. "You can play, if you want."

As the redhead held his DS out to Near, the smaller boy realized he had no idea what to do. He knew that the game system was Matt's most prized possession, and that he hardly let anybody so much as TOUCH it, let alone play it. He didn't want to mess it up, not to mention he didn't even know how to play. However…would it be consider rude to decline when somebody has offered you something so precious to them?

"I am afraid I do not know how to play," he said, neither a rejection nor an acceptation.

"I can teach you, if you want!" said the enthusiastic gamer. "Here, it's really easy once you get the hang of it~"

"I suppose…"

Before Near had time to protest, Matt scooted behind the small boy, pulling him into his lap and wrapping his arms around him. He brought his hands around his thin torso, the DS within them, and took Near's petite hands in his own. Now, Near was in his lap, his hands in his own as he placed them gently over the buttons. Matt had done this with Mello before…damn, DSes were great.

"Now, you press 'A' to jump…" he said, his breath slightly tickling Near's neck.

He gently pressed his thumb down over Near's own, beginning to help him through the first level. It was a good thing that Matt was actually the one doing all of the work, because Near was too frozen for his brain to process much at the moment. So…much…close contact…Matt's chest seemed to curve with his back, his large arms making him feel safe and secure from the world, his small hands fitting perfectly into Matt's quickly flexing ones.

"And then…'B' is to throw fireballs…" he said, his lips just-so-lightly skimming Near's neck.

Near said nothing, his breathing hitching slightly as the closeness suddenly became overwhelming. His body felt so warm…and safe…it was a feeling he was not used to, to say the least. He was suffocating, Matt's embrace was all too warm and protective.

"And then… you jump on the flagpole like that, and you beat the level!" said Matt, pulling Near slightly closer in a congratulatory hug.

Near was saved from replying by Mello walking into the room. His eyes narrowed slightly as he saw Near in Matt's lap, but they quickly adjusted back to normal as he shut the bedroom door behind him. Near gently wriggled out of Matt's lap, standing up and looking at what Mello was holding in his arms.

"What are those?" he asked, gesturing to the things in Mello's arms.

"Ice cream cartons!" said Mello, a large smile on his face. "I snuck them out of the kitchen. You like Vanilla or Strawberry better?"

---

Everybody in the taskforce facepalmed. Damn perverted minds. They were talking about ICE CREAM.

---

"I suppose…I do not know," Near said, looking up at Mello with slightly wide eyes.

"Then you can try whichever you want~" the blonde said, stepping back as Matt spread a blanket out on the floor.

Mello and Matt quickly sat down on the blanket, Mello setting the ice cream cartons and three spoons in the middle of the bedspread. They quickly ripped open their flavor of choice, taking one of the spoons and beginning to eat it straight from the carton. Near timidly sat down, picking up the vanilla flavor, slowly and carefully beginning to open it. One he lifted the lid; he grabbed one of the spoons between his thumb and forefinger and scooped out a small bite.

"It is…sweet, but not too sweet," he observed, letting the treat melt in his mouth.

"It's good, isn't it?" asked Matt, taking another bite of the mint. "Ice cream is the best!"

"Sorry about not having any bowls though," Mello said, taking an almost inhumanly large bite of the chocolate ice cream. "I couldn't find any."

"Nah, it's always more fun to eat out of the carton," Matt said through a mouth of ice cream, laughing slightly.

Near smiled slightly as he took another bite of the vanilla ice cream. Really, it wasn't too bad…he could understand why some people liked it. It was a _bit_ too sweet for his tastes, but Mello had gone out of his way to get the ice cream, so he swore to himself that he would try and eat as much as he could. Suddenly, he had the urge to try another flavor as well. Without even saying anything, he put his spoon into Matt's carton, scooping out a bit of mint.

Mint was good as well…it wasn't as sweet as vanilla. He wanted to try chocolate as well, so he went to take a bit from Mello's carton. The blonde gave him the stink-eye, but let him take some of his precious ice cream nonetheless. As soon as he tasted it, one thought crossed his mind.

'_Is this what Mello tastes like?_' he wondered, letting the sweet wash over his tongue.

"Chocolate is the best, isn't it?" Mello asked, a smug smirk on his face.

"I have not tried strawberry yet."

Near opened the strawberry carton, quickly scooping a bite out. He placed it in his mouth, and one taste overwhelmed all others. Sweet. In fact, it was so sweet…it tasted delicious. He took another bite, nodding slightly as he pushed the vanilla aside. That was so…five minutes ago.

"Strawberry," he said, looking up at the two of them. "Strawberry is my favorite."

"Ha!" said Matt, sticking his tongue out at Mello. "Chocolate is for losers~"

"Mint is for losers!"

"Chocolate."

"Mint."

"I think that both chocolate and mint are nice as well…" said Near, trying to resolve the conflict. "But…strawberry is better than either."

A small grin played across his face as he noticed the other boy's expressions. Never once had Near taken part in one of their petty arguments. It was…kind of funny, actually. Well, if he wanted to go, they were going to go.

"Really?" both boys asked. "And why is that?"

"Simple. It tastes better than either."

"It does, huh?" Mello asked, giving him the stink-eye once again. "No way."

Near simply scooped out another bite, gently urging his spoon past Mello's lips before the blonde had time to protest. He ate it, and he made a face.

"No. It's gross."

Near shrugged, pulling his spoon back and lifting another bite to his own mouth. Now his spoon tasted slightly of chocolate…and Mello's saliva. Which was not necessarily a bad taste, at least, not in Near's opinion. He continued to eat his ice cream until he was full, Mello and Matt done with their own as well.

"I enjoy ice cream," the small boy said simply, closing the carton and setting the spoon carefully on top.

"You know what?" Matt said suddenly, jumping up, his hyper energy still apparent. "I want to listen to the radio."

Both Mello and Near shrugged, not really caring whether they listened to music or not. Matt flipped on the radio just as a song started, snorting when he heard the beginning. He was just about to change the station when Mello stopped him.

"I want to listen to it," he said, large smile on his face as he stood up.

Near didn't recognize the song, but that was no surprise. If he DID recognize a song that came on popular radio like this, it would be a miracle. However, he decided to stop thinking for a moment as Matt sat down next to him, both watching as Mello started to dance.

_All right, here we go, follow me now  
Come on, hit it, everybody do your dance  
Ain't nothing better than an all night jam  
Are you ready for a little something new tonight?  
I got a brand new step that you're gonna like_

Mello began to dance, his hips swinging back and forth as he looked back towards them, flipping his hair over his shoulder and smiling brightly. He winked at them playfully before beginning to dance again, Near almost choking with the obscenity of the suggestive movements Mello was doing.

_C'mon boys, gotta do like I do, just follow my lead  
Everybody let's chill!  
Do the ice cream freeze, strike your pose  
Can you do the milkshake?  
Shake it, shake it down low_

The blonde quickly dropped down, still shaking and swinging his hips, slowly standing back up, running his hands over his clothed body as he began to dance again. Matt was seriously going to murder Hannah Montana for this. Her and her damn unintentionally suggestive lyrics.

_Can you do the snow cone slide? Left to right, put your hands in the air, we can party all night  
Do the ice cream freeze, strike your pose  
Can you do the milkshake?  
Shake it shake it down low _

_Can you do the snow cone slide? Left to right, put your hands in the air, we can party all night  
Shake it shake it shake it shake it down low, then do the ice cream freeze_

Now it was Near that was dying. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off of Mello, watching as he dropped down one again, rising back up faster this time, still swinging his hips and singing along. The small boy was trying his best to think of something completely and utterly un-sexy…Linda! Just think of Linda…

As soon as he began to think of Linda, he began to think of the short little skirts she always wore, and her _blonde_ hair that was always in pigtails. Now he was only thinking of Mello in a short skirt with his hair in pigtails. Damnit. His mind had never DONE this to him before…mutiny. This was freaking mutiny. Why…? His brain had always helped him in the past, so why NOW?

_All kinds of stepping make you feel good, Triple Step, Butterfly, Sugar Foot  
But, I'm coming with a new thing, what you need? (That's right)  
Now everybody wanna do the ice cream freeze!  
Come on boys~_

Mello flipped his hair over his shoulder once again, dropping down and seductively beckoning them over. Matt and Near both had half a mind to go crawling over there on their hands and knees, but they individually thought that there was no way in hell that could end well for them. Mello just sat down on his bed, crossing his ankles and grabbing a hairtie off of his dresser. He ran his fingers through his hair before pulling it back into a messy bun, smirking at them.

"You should see your faces," he laughed, stripping himself out of his sweaty shirt.

Near was split between the urge to get up and leave, and the thing he wanted to do most—stay and see if Mello would take his pants off next. Matt wanted to throw a dollar bill at the blonde and tell him to continue. However, Mello only pulled on a tanktop, stripping himself of his pants and sitting back down on the blanket in just his plain black boxers.

"I-I should be leaving now…" Near said, trying to disguise the shakiness of his voice. "Curfew was two minutes ago…"

"Bye, Near~" Mello waved, smiling (or maybe smirking?) at him as he walked out the door.

"Bye…" Matt said, wishing that he wasn't stuck in here with half-naked Mello. It wasn't a _bad_ thing per say…unless he was to think about it too much, and possibly get a problem.

Matt quickly walked over to the camcorder, flicking it off before the taskforce had time to see what would happen next. They urgently awaited the next tape, wondering what could possibly make this orphanage any stranger.

---_Off screen, back at Wammy's, March, after Near left Mello and Matt's room_---

Near quickly left the two older boy's room, running off to his room as fast as his weak legs would take him. He darted in through the door, slamming and locking it behind him as he slid down, his back against the doorframe. That was…enjoyable, yet as excruciatingly torturous as anything he could think of. As his mind began to dwell on Mello, a strange feeling began to manifest itself in the pit of his stomach.

He let out a small, almost unintelligible moan as he bit his lip, wondering why he was feeling so hot and sweaty. All the blonde did was _dance_. That shouldn't be making him feel like this at all. Why was he—

Near flushed as he noticed a bulge in his pants, and he instantly knew it was an erection. He had read about them in books before…but never actually gotten one, until now. Timidly, looking around as though he was afraid someone was watching him, he slipped his pants off. When reading, he found out there were three ways to take care of one of these 'problems.' You could wait for it to go away, take a cold shower, or…take care of it yourself.

It was too late for him to even consider sneaking out and taking a shower, and it was actually beginning to hurt slightly the more he thought of Mello, so he figured the only thing he could do was take care of it himself. Very slowly, he pressed the fabric of his underwear against it, causing a small gasp to fall from his lips and a shiver to travel up his spine. He began to grind the heel of his palm against it, causing a small moan to fall from his lips. All his mind could seem to think of was Mello, dancing, his own hands running over his body that Near so longed to touch.

With a small cry, Near arched his back and came, the hot liquid spilling into his underwear. His gray eyes slowly blinked open, his body still weak from orgasm as he stood up and made his way across the room. He tugged down his sticky and uncomfortable underwear, dropping them on to the floor as he began to clean himself up. There was…why would one thing bring so much pleasure? Why did Mello make him _feel _like that?

So many incoherent thoughts were running through the small boy's head as he dropped the now-sticky cloth on to the floor, his breathing still slightly uneven. However, he only unbuttoned his shirt and put on another pair of underwear before lying down in bed, pulling the covers up around him and falling asleep.

* * *

**Long-ass end note: **You guys have no idea how much I enjoy fucking with you, do you? :3

*cries* I'm sorry I'm such a tease…but on a little funny note, I wrote this chapter while listening to "Ice cream freeze" by Hannah Montana. I think some of my brain cells died. That's why I decided to stick that little part in there, though. Mello SO would make a Hannah Montana song sexy. But ohmyGOD, I was listening to the radio, and the Ding Dong Song came on while I was trying to write the part where Near was jacking off. I went into gigglefits, and I couldn't write. ONE MORE THING. Before you ask about the part with Near, I realized that there would be no sex in the story unless I added a few little parts like that. They wouldn't record themselves having sex, amirite? So, deal with it and be happy for the smut.

~FragilePuzzle


	16. Pinch

**Explanatory A/N: **Haha, okay guys, some people didn't get the flavors joke…Don't worry, if my friends and I weren't total pervs, I wouldn't have gotten it either. ANYWAYS, since I am too lazy to reply to every review, this is what I was talking about. Strawberry, chocolate, mint, and vanilla are/can be condom or lube flavors. Yes. I am a fail at sexual jokes. But it seems Mello dancing erotically to Hannah Montana was a success. ;D Hell, I bet Mello could make the WIGGLES sound sexy.

* * *

The next time the camera turned on, the date in the corner said that it was March 17th, about a week after the ice cream picnic in Mello and Matt's room. Matt was behind the camcorder, but neither Mello or Near were near him, no pun intended. The redhead skipped off to the playroom, which was about the only place they could _be _considering that they STILL weren't allowed out of the orphanage. As he got there, he cheerfully slammed the door open, running in and seeing Mello and Near. Mello was sitting over at the small table in the corner, and Near was sitting at the opposite end of the room, working on a puzzle. Matt set the camcorder down on the window, and much to everybody's surprise, the redhead was wearing a different shirt today. It was a white t-shirt with a large one-up mushroom on the front, and the green of the mushroom clashed brightly with his red hair.

"Mello-yellow~!" he said cheerily, plopping himself down next to the blonde. "Mello-yellow-Jello-cello-hello-bellow-"

"Shut it."

Well SOMEODY forgot to take a nap this morning. The blonde was simply sitting there, chocolate bar in hand, staring at Near as if he was trying to memorize every little movement the small boy was doing. Knowing Mello, he was. Maybe they had been left alone in the same room for too long…or maybe Mello was only PMS-ing as usual. Suddenly, Matt leaned over and pinched Mello. No reason, no explanation, he just pinched Mello's arm.

"What the hell?" Mello asked, finally breaking out of his staring contest with the back of Near's head. "Why did you just pinch me?"

"You're not wearing green!"

Mello just gave him a look that clearly said he thought that Matt was a very _special_ child.

"I'm not wearing green…so you pinched me. I see."

"It's Saint Patrick's Day!" Matt said, pinching him again. "And you're _supposed_ to wear green today! Do you even OWN anything besides black?"

Mello shook his head and watched as Matt leapt across the room, crouching down next to Near and pinching his arm. Near didn't even react, but as Matt continued to pinch him, he slowly looked up. Blinking a few times, his eyes met Matt's and saw the childish spark in them, one that made him quickly look away. He was not adept to dealing with people's playful sides, as strange as that sounded.

"Near, you're not wearing any green either!" he said, pinching Near again before standing up. "C'mon, you guys are no fun…I mean, you could at least yell at me to stop pinching you, or go get changed, or SOMETHING. All you do is sit there…psh. Spoilsports."

Matt went back to sit down next to Mello again, beginning to pinch the blonde relentlessly, knowing that he would be much easier to get a reaction out of than Near. And he was right. It wasn't even thirty seconds of intense pinching before Mello stood up, banging his fist on the table.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he asked, angrily, looking down at the giggling Matt.

"It's my RIGHT. I get to pinch you as much as I want when you're not wearing green!"

Mello stormed out of the room, probably going off to pout or get chocolate, so Matt moved down to sit next to Near. Before he even had a chance to pinch the smaller boy, Near looked up at him again. Matt slowly withdrew his hand, setting it back in his lap and watching as Near completed his puzzle for the umpteenth time that day. He upended it, dropping the many pieces on the floor, and beginning all over again. Watching as his fingers picked out a piece and put it into place, Matt wondered how tedious that must be.

"How tedious is that?" he asked, his tendency to ask what was on his mind making an appearance. "I mean, seriously. How many years have you been doing that exact same puzzle?"

"Just because something is unchanging does not make it tedious."

Matt shrugged, wondering why Near always gave such vague answers to whatever question somebody asked him. If you asked him what he liked to eat, Matt wouldn't be surprised if he just replied 'food.' That was why…it was so hard to even talk to him.

"Are you vague on purpose?" he asked, looking at Near with wide eyes. "Do you do it so people just get sick of your 'answers that aren't really answers' and they'll eventually stop talking to you? That seems like something you would do…"

"I suppose one might say that. There are not many people I enjoy talking to; Matt may be assured of that."

"Well, why not? I mean, not ALL people are bad!"

Near was saved from having to answer by Mello. The blonde had just come back into the room, black shorts and emerald green tank top on. His hair was pulled back into a messy high ponytail, and he walked over to Matt and Near, confident that he could not be pinched now. Soccer-lean legs crouched down on the other side of Near, eyes narrowing as he looked at the smaller boy.

"You're the only one not wearing green…" he said solemnly. "You're supposed to wear green on Saint Patrick's Day, Near."

"Mels…you know what happens if you wear _white_ today?" Matt asked, catching on, looking at the both of them like this was some sort of funeral. "You get…tickled."

Hearing this, Near tried to grab his puzzle and escape, but it was too late. Matt pinned the small boy to the floor, letting Mello begin to tickle him. No thanks to his oversensitive body, as soon as Mello began to lightly run his fingers up Near's bare sides and stomach, Near began to giggle quietly and squirm around. He arched his back as Mello ran his fingers along the sensitive skin right above the waistband of his pants, a strangled laugh falling from his lips.

Mello wouldn't admit it to anybody, because it sounded quite sadistic, but he found it quite enjoyable to tickle Near. Now, before you ask how that sounds sadistic, think about it. If you tickle somebody, it makes them uncomfortable, and they have no choice but to _squirm_.

Man, if he could do this whenever he wanted, Mello was pretty sure he could give up chocolate.

As Mello ran his fingers over Near's petite hipbones, Near had no choice but to let out a small squeal. It tickled…so badly…and physical feelings were not as easy to control as emotional feelings. Sure, he had gotten used to pain, but everything else…

"Did you just _squeal_?" both boys asked, looking at him with smirks plastered on their faces. "Did NEAR just squeal?"

"I-it t-tickles," he managed to breathe out, taking the opportunity to wiggle out of Mello and Matt's grasp.

The small boy grabbed his puzzle and rushed off somewhere, his face flushed and his hair matted to his forehead. Mello wondered why he had to leave so quickly…and why he didn't even bother to say so much as goodbye to either of them.

"Oh SHIT," Matt said, suddenly standing up. "Mels, I forgot, I have homework that's due tomorrow…I gotta go work on it."

Matt rushed off as well, turning in the direction of their room. Sighing and standing up, smoothing out his tank top, Mello went to go follow the redhead. However, he then saw the camcorder out of the corner of his eye, still resting on the windowsill. He ran across the room and grabbed it before following Matt, determined not to be left alone, bored.

Mello was almost back to the room he shared with Matt, and he heard music…like, the kind you hear in musicals. In fact, he was sure that it was definitely from a musical. Matt was watching a _musical_? And then…wait, how could he get away with offering to beat the gay out of HIM?

Mello snuck up outside the door, slowly turning the knob to open the door, just so he could peek in a teeeeeeeny little bit. He just wondered what the hell Matt was DOING. He focused the camcorder, and had to stop himself from either busting out into laughter or applause. It was…not what he expected to say the least, but that didn't mean it was bad, per say.

Matt was apparently supposed to be doing his homework, because he could see papers and books spread out on his bed, but he was standing in the middle of the room and singing. SINGING. To a musical song. Matt was dancing around their room and singing musical numbers. The song was going back and forth between a boy and a girl, and apparently, the girl didn't believe in love. But the guy was madly in love with her, etc, etc. Mello was just trying to keep himself…restrained, from whatever he might do, were he to actually DO something.

_Love is a many splendored thing… Love lifts us up where we belong! All you need is love!_

Matt sang, dancing around the room, looking at Mello's bed as if there were somebody sitting there. It was almost…eerie in a way. But, Mello continued to watch as Matt's surprisingly pretty voice filled the room. He danced around, holding a hand to his chest, the other one out as if to court whoever he was singing to.

_I was made for loving you baby; You were made for loving me!_

Matt continued to dance around, as if he was chasing after whoever the hell he was singing to. Mello would have gone in there and stopped him, probably slapping him as well, but his voice was actually…really pretty. So, the blonde continued to record him through the small crack in the door, his quivering hands making the picture shake as well.

_Just for one day! We could be heroes, Forever and ever!  
We could be heroes, Forever and ever,  
We can be heroes..._

The redhead suddenly jumped up on to his bed, standing up and singing in his loudest voice yet. His eyes were closed, his goggles on his head, hand out as if offering it to somebody. Mello wondered if the redhead was high or hallucinating. I mean…how could you sing so passionately to somebody who wasn't even there?

_Just because I... will always love you...  
I...  
...Can't help loving...  
...You..._

Suddenly, Matt looked sad…he flopped down on his bed as the radio turned off, running his hands through his hair and starting his homework once again. Mello stood up, not knocking before walking into the room and setting the camcorder on to the windowsill. He sat down on his bed, crossing his legs in that feminine way of his, his ice blue eyes traveling over Matt's bed. He watched as the redhead grabbed a chocolate bar from on the bed next to him, snapping a bite off into his mouth.

The blonde's eyes narrowed as he realized that it was his chocolate bar Matt was eating. Now he was in a feisty mood. Walking over to the redhead, he snatched the bar out of his hand, taking it into his mouth instead. Even though he had a good singing voice, didn't mean that he could just GET AWAY with stealing the blonde's chocolate.

It was then that something caught Mello's eye. In between Matt's lips, there resided a single square of chocolate. Mello's eyes lit up like the scrooge on Christmas as he leaned over, their foreheads almost touching.

"What have I told you about stealing my chocolate?"

"To never to do it…" Matt said, looking up at him with wide eyes, wondering what kind of punishment he was going to get.

Mello nodded, leaning forward and pushing Matt back on the bed, now leaning over the redhead, blonde hair mixing with vermilion. He had…a very strong emotional attachment to his chocolate, and he would stand for nobody else eating it without his permission. He opened his mouth and leaned over Matt, his lips taking the redhead's into his mouth slightly as he yanked the chocolate out of his mouth. It seemed as though they lingered for more than was considered necessary, but Matt knew that must have been his imagination.

"Steal my chocolate again, see what happens next time." Mello said, using his tongue to pop the square of chocolate the rest of the way into his own mouth, smirking.

Oh, he would.

* * *

**End Note: **Flangst…that's such a cool-sounding word. Fluff/Angst. You know what? They need to make a fluff genre, and a PWP genre. Sorry for being such a slacker lately…but Mello is such a little man-whore. On a random note, I am in love with the Ting Tings. They are my MUSE. I want to have their BABIES.

A big thanks to 'Zilander Kat' for reminding me to put a MattxMello kiss…*shot* I probably would have forgotten without her help…*gunned down*

~FragilePuzzle


	17. Bake

**A/N and Apology: **Hm…ILU YOU ALL! And yes, the song Matt was singing last chapter was from Moulin Rouge – It's called 'Elephant Love Medley.' One more thing: A few people wondered if Near ran out of the room because he got turned on… yes. Because I assume that tickling turns everybody on, just because it does me. *sigh*

However, I do owe you all an apology. I haven't worked on this story for a while, because love triangles have just become a LITTLE too real for me lately. Trust me. They're really not humorous in any way. But, starting now, I have the rest of the story planned out. I'm going to work like mad!

* * *

After Mello stole his chocolate back, the blonde climbed off of the bed and walked back over to his side of the room. He set the chocolate back on his nightstand, rolling over, back towards Matt, intending to go to sleep early tonight.

"Mello?" Matt asked, looking over at the blonde one last time. "What're you gonna do to me if I steal your chocolate again?"

"I'll kick your ass so bad, my foot will be coming out of your mouth, so I wouldn't suggest doing it," said Mello, voice already laced with sleep as he shifted himself slightly.

A furious blush overcame Matt's face as Mello said that. He knew the blonde was joking, but he couldn't help but think of anything and everything sexual when he _said_ things like that. I mean…maybe Matt was just a perv, and had read too many yaoi doujinshis, but seriously? Maybe it was just the fact that he was able to turn anything and everything that came out of Mello's mouth perverted. It was a natural talent. The redhead shuddered once before rolling over as well, wondering why the hell they were going to sleep before Near.

---_The next morning_---

"_This week on The View, co-hosts Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Joy Behar had a heated exchange that ended with Hasselbeck shouting, "You want some more Barack Obama Kool-Aid?" To which former co-host Rosie O'Donnell replied "Oh yeah!" and burst through the brick wall in the back of the studio."_

Matt, who was sitting on the couch upside down, began to laugh hysterically. Nobody else in the orphanage was up at four in the morning, so he had decided to watch some Saturday Night Live reruns while he was waiting for his mind to calm down so he could try and sleep again. That was at two this morning. It was apparent that he wouldn't be going to bed anytime soon, so the redhead had spent the last two hours lounging on the couch, laughing at jokes nobody else would get.

"Oh yeah!" Matt said, flipping himself back up onto the couch as his face turned red from all of the blood rushing to it. "Holy shit…Kool Aid…"

The redhead sighed, wishing that somebody would wake up. For some reason, he felt particularly alone. So alone, in fact, that he had set up the videocamera. He hadn't even NOTICED it at first…but then he was too tired to get up off of the couch and go ALL THE WAY over to where it rested on the windowsill, and then turn it off. So he let it continue to record, figuring that old habits just died hard. It wasn't like the three of them had anything particularly INTERESTING to record anyways, so they weren't really wasting tape. Ah man, someday, he was going to have to watch these tapes.

Suddenly, a tired-looking Near came out into the room. Matt, hearing a noise, quickly turned around and saw the smaller boy. A small blush overcame his face as he threw himself back down onto the couch, going back to watching the television.

"Morning, Near," he said, biting his lip as he looked back at the small boy. "What are you doing up this early?"

Near did nothing, clutching the pink stuffed rabbit he had salvaged from Mello and Matt what seemed like so long ago, to his chest. His gray eyes were blurry and unfocused as he sat himself down on the couch right next to Matt, causing the redhead to scoot away a bit. Suddenly, the smaller boy just up and collapsed into his lap.

"W-what are you doing?" he asked, green eyes widening as Near decided his lap would make a good pillow. "If you're that tired, you should just go back to bed!"

"Matt…is…comfortable…" said Near, instantly falling back to sleep again.

"N-no!" he said, trying his best not to move and disturb the other boy. "I-I'm really not!"

It was a full five minutes before Near blinked his eyes open again, still apparently hazy with sleep. He sat up robotically, his head lolling forward slightly before he snapped it back up, blinking a few times. It appeared like he was really tired…he had L-like bags under his eyes, almost as dark as the detective's own as well. However…Matt just thought they personified his appearance as a fluffy little panda.

Wait a second. OH GOD. He just thought of Near… as a kawaii fluffy panda uke-chan! What the FUCK was wrong with him? This was NEAR we were talking about here! That didn't change the fact that he was a kawaii fluffy panda uke-chan, but STILL. He needed to change his topic of thought as soon as possible… before he just started picturing Near in an adorable little kitten or bunny outfit… maybe even every otaku's dream—a schoolgirl uniform.

Internally nosebleeding at the thought, Matt quickly looked away from the smaller boy and began to think of other things. Yes…other things…like Mello! Yeah…no. Suddenly, the worst thing possible happened. On SNL, Hannah Montana was the main performance. And she was singing 'Ice Cream Freeze.' Shit.

Both boys reached for the remote, which rested in between the two of them, hands brushing as they tried to change the channel. Near withdrew his hand first, Matt trying to show no signs of nervousness as he flipped through the numerous channels. The redhead finally stopped as it landed on some reruns of 'The Office,' deciding that a little sexual humor was worth not getting a boner from listening to Hannah Montana's grody voice while picturing his best friend practically strip teasing. Well…Mello never had to worry, if he were going to get kicked out of Wammy's. He could always be a pole dancer.

"I…awoke this morning because I heard Matt laughing," Near said suddenly, looking over at the redhead. "And I wondered…if he and Mello were up as well."

"Oh, haha, no," Matt said, blush dusting his cheeks. "I couldn't sleep good…you know, thinking about stuff? So I've been out here since about two o' clock."

Near nodded once in understanding, clutching his rabbit close to his chest as he brought a knee to his chest, a hand raising to twirl a lock of pure white hair. He blinked a few times before he turned towards Matt, feeling the redhead's stare drilling holes in the side of his head.

"You can go back to sleep, if you want," said Matt, quickly looking away from Near when he saw that he had been noticed. "I mean, you don't have to stay up, and you look pretty tired and stuff."

Suddenly, the camera caught Mello walking into the room, the feed of the recorder showing what the other two boys couldn't see without turning around. A smirk was plastered on to his face as he took a step back and began to run forward, barreling himself over the back of the couch and plopping himself down in between the two of them.

"Morning~" he smiled, acting as if he had just sat down calmly.

"JesusfuckingCHRIST, Mello!" said Matt, flailing around in a panic-y surprise. "What the HELL was that?"

"Matt…is correct…Mello should not do things like that," said Near, trying to disguise the fact that he had been startled. "I suppose that I should be getting back to bed now…"

"Know what?" Matt announced suddenly, trying to keep Near from going back to bed without outright asking him to stay. "We're going to bake cookies."

"Cookies…?" asked Mello. "The fuck?"

They both looked at him like he was an idiot, eyebrows raised, Mello's lips pursed and Near's hand twirling his hair slower than normal. Matt only smiled and walked over to the door of the room, beckoning for them to follow him. You would think that the two other boys would be used to Matt's spontaneity, but it didn't appear as though they were. However, Near was the first to stand, surprising both boys.

"I enjoy…some kinds of confectioneries," said Near, smiling softly back at Mello.

"Whatever," Mello huffed, standing up and following the two of them after grabbing the camcorder. "But…which of you geniuses knows how to bake?"

Near was silent, but Matt raised his hand happily.

"Yeah, remember back when I wasn't too popular here?" he asked, adjusting his goggles and smiling brightly. "I used to hang out in the kitchen, and one of the cooks, who's dead now, she taught me how to cook and bake! It's not that hard, and you guys are supposed to be smarter than me, so I'm sure you'll be able to learn. C'mon~!"

"One more question," said Mello, crossing his arms as they arrived in the kitchen. "Why the _fuck_ are we _baking cookies_ at _four-thirty in the morning_?"

"Because I want cookies!"

Neither could disagree with that logic, so both Mello and Near put on the aprons that Matt handed them, both feeling quite stupid in their frilly girl's aprons when Matt got a plain white one.

"Why the hell do you get a normal one?" Mello asked, crossing his arms in a pout. "I don't want a stupid frilly girl's one. I want a normal one, like you."

Matt turned around, having gotten out the ingredients out and placed them out on the counter. He had just had another one of his otaku fantasies fulfilled within the last hour, and he was thanking the great pervert gods at the moment, because he must have done _something_ to deserve this. Both Mello and Near were dressed in frilly white aprons, akin to ones that you might see on a housewife on a reality TV show. Only, not the kind of housewives that really worked in your house, unless your name was Hugh Hefner.

"Well sorry that this is the only normal one," Matt sighed, rolling his eyes as he tried with every ounce of energy to keep all of the blood in his body from shooting to his groin.

Mello tapped his foot and sighed, taking a hairtie out of his pocket and pulling his long hair away from his face. He gave Matt his infamous stink eye as a warning not to say anything, whipping his black sleeves up and taking a step forward.

"Let's start _baking_," he hissed, still upset about being stuck in a frilly apron.

"Hey, Mels, if you behave…we're baking chocolate chip cookies, you know. My personal recipe~! You can eat whatever of the chocolate is left, if you want."

Mello nodded, both of the boys looking at Near as he rolled his sleeves up slowly and carefully, pushing his hair out of his face and tucking it behind his ears. Nodding a once to signal that he was ready, Matt led both other boys over to the counter of ingredients, beginning to explain to them what everything was, and what they were supposed to be doing with said ingredients.

"Two and one-forth cups of flour, one teaspoon of baking soda, one teaspoon of salt, one cup of softened butter, which is about two sticks, three-fourths of a cup of granulated sugar, three-fourths of a cup of packed brown sugar, one teaspoon of vanilla, two eggs, and two cups of chocolate chips!" Matt said proudly, having memorized the recipe by the time he was eight. "Now, I'm going to preheat the oven to thee-hundred and five degrees."

Mello and Near watched him, still not really knowing what exactly it was that they were supposed to be doing. Matt walked back over to them, outwardly grinning, but inwardly jizzing himself. Because he was just that mature.

"Okay," he said, whipping out a bowl and shoving Mello and Near in front of it. "Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in the bowl. Then you have to beat the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until they get all creamy and stuff. After that, you have to add the eggs one at a time, beating it and stirring after each one. After that's all mixed up, you slowly add the flour and mix THAT up. Then comes chocolate chips…yeah, like that!"

Matt watched as the two other boys followed his every instruction to a tee, yet still managed to fuck it up. They must have been pretty skilled. Just as the redhead walked forward, Mello started to slowly pour the flour in. The next few moments were almost like slow motion. Matt, being the giant klutz he is, tripped over thin air. He managed to steady himself, but he bumped into Mello anyways, causing the blonde to lose his grip on the flour and—

The next thing they knew, all three of them were standing in the middle of the kitchen, covered from head to toe in flour.

"Matt…" said Mello, voice dangerously quiet as he didn't even attempt to wipe the flour off of himself. "Have I ever told you what a big dumbass you are?"

Matt nodded quickly, determined not to piss the blonde off any more than was absolutely necessary. Which was 'not at all.' Slowly, he regained his balance, wiping some of the flour off of his face as he looked at the both of them sheepishly.

"Guess it's time for a shower, huh?"

* * *

**End Note: **Haha, if you were wondering, that chocolate chip cookie recipe is very real, and quite delicious if I do say so myself~

~FragilePuzzle


	18. Flow

**A/N: **WOO. I'm SUCH a great author, I feel the need to tell you about my personal life. I got my hair cut just like post-explosion Mello~ Now I'm officially badass. Hellz to the yeah. How can you NOT be badass with a choppy pageboy haircut?

* * *

"Guess it's time for a shower, huh?"

Mello only rolled his eyes, opening his mouth as if he was about to say something, but then closing it again. Near, unbeknownst to the other boys, was hiding a very dark flush under all of that flour. He had to remind himself that he was just another boy, and that being in the public showers with two other boys his age shouldn't be any sort of problem at all. No, it should not…it was perfectly normal. Just because he was the only child in the orphanage that was excused from gym, or playing outside…and he didn't get all sweaty, and have to go take a shower…that didn't mean that it was strange to take a shower in the same bathroom as two other boys.

Of course not.

Mello and Matt were already over by the door, beckoning for the flour-covered Near to follow them out of the room and down to the showers. A petite hand went up to twirl a single curl around a thin finger as Near nodded, raising his free hand and silently pointing a finger at the camcorder. He was afraid his voice would crack, or something would give him away, so the small boy only walked over to the camcorder and turned it off. They could come back and get it after their shower…wait, 'their' shower? Damn brain…second mutiny attempt within the last month.

---

Matsuda 'tsk-tsked,' looking at L and raising a single finger.

"L, what kind of orphanage is this? Why are they going to take a _shower_?" he asked, scolding tone in his voice.

L was about to protest that he had no idea that these things were happening, but it didn't appear that Matsuda was in the mood to listen. He interrupted the detective, shaking his finger as he put his hand on his hip.

"I mean, they're just little _orphans_! You couldn't even get them _bathtubs_?"

God, sometimes…Matsuda was just too stupid for his own good. Well, maybe stupid wasn't the word L was looking for. Maybe…naïve? No, that wasn't it. He was just stupid.

---_Off camera, back at Wammy's, in the kitchen_---

Near looked up at the two older boys again, both of which were impatiently waiting for him to follow them down to the bathroom. Shuffling across the room, he hid his face by staring at the floor, desperately attempting to swallow the lump that had formed itself in his throat. He could not remember a time when he had been more _terrified_ than this, as silly as that sounded.

Finally, after making their way down a few corridors silently, none of the other children being up this early in the morning…they arrived at the dreaded showers. This was one of the only reasons Near was glad he was excused from playing outside. He had read many books, and even the thought of exposing your bare body to other people…it gave him shivers. Not in a good way, either. In a shivery-nervous, my-tummy-is-filled-with-butterflies kind of way.

Which, did he mention, was not good?

Mello and Matt walked into the tile room first, sock feet padding softly against the cold floor. It was dry, which was not surprising since they were the first to take a shower this morning. The shower room was akin to what most public pools had for a shower room, just an open room with nozzles coming out of the walls. There were also several benches near the door, all of which were made of quite a nice cedar, lovely color with an impeccable style that could almost be considered 'classic' possibly even—

Well, now Near was just trying to distract himself with any little details he could focus his mind on, completely trying to ignore the fact that Mello and Matt were currently STRIPPING.

"Near, c'mon, we have to get the kitchen cleaned up too, after taking a shower…but seriously? You guys suck at cooking, you know that?" Matt joked, peeling his flour-covered shirt off as he took his now-white goggles off of his head and set them on one of the benches.

"We don't suck, you're the one that tripped and knocked us over!" scowled Mello, sliding his pants off before his shirt. "If it weren't for you, those _chocolate_ cookies would have turned out GREAT."

"Dude, the mix was fucking lumpy after you stirred it for, like, ten minutes. It's not supposed to be that lumpy to start with," said Matt, beginning to unbutton his pants.

"Hey, puffball, as much as I'm positive nobody would know you spilled white shit all over you, you should probably get it all off," Mello said, looking over at Near as he wriggled out of his previously-black shirt.

"Very well…" said Near, voice cracking. It wasn't as if Mello or Matt noticed him…or so he hoped.

The small boy walked over to the two of them, slowly beginning to unbutton his shirt, trying to ignore the other boys. Hoping that it looked like he was just taking his sweet time, Near wondered if Mello or Matt noticed that his hands were practically shaking too badly to unbutton his shirt.

Mello looked over at Near, the blonde now completely naked and relatively unembarrassed. It was kind of seductive…the way Near was being completely slow like that, letting it slide over his pale frame softly…mm, yeah. Blue eyes flickering over to Matt, he could say for sure that he was not _disappointed_ with the redhead either. Sure, he had showered with Matt numerous times, but it wasn't like he was just going to stare at his gorgeous body when everybody else was looking. Now that it was just the three of them, it was a helluva lot less likely anybody would notice him staring at Matt's ass.

Matt watched as Mello walked over to one of the showers, turning the water on with a flick of his wrist. The redhead bit his lip as he debated whether he should watch the hot water slide over Mello's already-slickened body, or watch as Near slipped his clothes off, folding them and placing them on a bench neatly. Oh god, now was one of those times he just wished that he had eyes in the back of his head or something.

Finally, Matt decided to eye-rape Mello (or, at least, his ass) for a bit until Near had his clothes completely removed, the small boy picking the shower in the corner. Not much of a surprise there, but now that the two other boys were standing across the room, Matt was free to stare at their gorgeous little bodies as much as he wanted. Even just thinking about them both squirming beneath him—

Shaking his head furiously, Matt stood up and walked over to a nearby shower, one that was facing away from the wall Mello and Near had chosen their showers on. The redhead turned the water on as cold as it would go, trying to prevent his body from sending any more of his blood to his cock. Saying that he was lightheaded from lack of blood in the rest of his body wouldn't be too much of a stretch.

Jesus CHRIST, now that he thought about it, he had been SERIOUSLY horny lately. Every time he saw Mello OR Near, all he could think about was what it would be like to jump their bones. As much as he appreciated that he didn't have some sort of erectile dysfunction or something like that, he felt that getting a boner every time he started to picture those _delectable_ fantasies was a bit of a stretch.

The redhead stopped himself before he began to wonder, for the who-knows-how-many-eth time, what it would be like to just POUND into—

Fuck. At this rate, he was going to need more than a cold shower.

Near stared at the floor, watching as the white-tinted water flowed down the drain. This wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. Neither Matt nor Mello attempted to stare at him, and if they did—no, even the thought that Mello or Matt would want to stare at his skinny, underdeveloped body, HIS skinny and underdeveloped body—it was stupid, not to mention narcissistic. Shaking his head softly, Near ran his fingers through sopping wet curls before going to turn the warm shower off, determined to leave before anything actually happened. If he got another one of his 'problems' where Mello or Matt could see, he knew he would never hear the end of it. The whole orphanage would know that he got erections from imaging himself _fornicating_ with two other boys, one of which was his 'worst enemy' and the other of which was his worst enemy's closest friend.

Near decided that it might be for the best to turn his shower to cold instead of leaving.

Feeling like a sadist, Mello let a smirk dance across his face as he felt both Matt and Near's discomposed air. They were nervous, for reasons unknown. Hm. Figured.

The blonde smirked as he turned his shower off, wringing his hair out as he walked back over to the cedar oak benches, grabbing his towel and wrapping it around his waist. Turning back to the other two boys, he let his eyes wander for a moment before speaking up.

"We should probably get going, so we can clean up the kitchen before everybody gets back~" he said happily, beckoning for the two of them to turn their showers off. "I mean, Roger will flip a bitch if he finds out we were going to use the oven when nobody else was up. Hell, he'll flip a bitch just knowing that the three of US were the only ones up in the entire orphanage."

"Yeah, yeah," Matt said, voice echoing, barely audible over the pounding of the water on the hard tiles of the bathroom floor. "Coming."

Matt turned his cold shower off, making his way calmly across the room; using every ounce of willpower he possessed to keep himself from jumping Near as he walked past the small boy. As soon as he reached the benches, he wrapped his towel around himself, both he and Mello waiting for Near to hurry his ass up so they could clean the kitchen.

"Mello and Matt may leave without me. I wish to finish my shower," Near said softly, not making eye contact with either of them. "I will join the two of them momentarily?"

Both older boys nodded, leaving Near alone in the showers as they made their way back to the room they shared, both knowing exactly what kind of thoughts their heads would be filled with that night.

---_Back in the showers_---

Near continued to let the warm water wash over his body as he raised his arm, looking at his wrist. There were three very prominent scars that crossed his wrist horizontally, ones that brought him pain to do so much as look at. Slowly, he began to rub at them, as if they might flow off with the warm water, and he could undo everything that happened to him. If only.

Wracking his brain, Near's gray eyes lit up as he thought of something. Mello and Matt would not let him prove he was human by physically hurting himself, that much he knew. They did not want to be able to see anything, because guilt and pity were simply two of the more uncomfortable human emotions, and they did not want to have to feel those constantly. Near could understand that. It was also human nature to put oneself above others.

However, Near also knew that the emotion 'love' was considered the most human of them all. It was said that it was one of the things that separated Homo Sapiens from any other animals. Near would be human if he loved. However…he could also hurt himself by loving. Whatever happened, he would be human again…just like he was before he was forced to seal off his emotions in a little Pandora's Box that he was forced to keep hidden away in the depths of his soul.

All he wanted was to regain his childhood that had been so viciously and violently ripped from him.

He would love Mello and Matt.

It was decided.

Smiling softly and sadly, Near turned off his shower. He just stood there, dripping, naked body shivering. Tired feet slowly carried him across the room, slipping his towel around his waist before forcing his feet to carry himself to his room. He was tired, both physically and mentally. The small boy dropped his towel on the floor, gently lying down on his bed, still naked and shivering. Millions of thoughts ran through his head, both coherent and nonsensical, the constant buzzing almost making his head spin. After a few minutes, he stood back up, sheets damp and body mostly dry.

Near walked over to his dresser, pulling on a pair of white underwear followed by a pair of plain white pajama pants, followed by a plain white button-up pajama shirt. Just like every day…consistency was one of the few things he valued in this seemingly bleak and purposeless world.

After he sat down on the edge of his bed and pulled on his socks, Near nodded once.

He was going to fuel every ounce of his love into Mello and Matt, only to be rejected. Maybe then he could show that he was human.

* * *

**End Note/ Normal 'please forgive me because I know I am a fail' apology: **I'm sorry…if that wasn't exactly the shower scene you were expecting. I'm such a fucking lazy ass, I have the whole story planned out…I know how I want it to end, and…yeah. I already…ooh…*shudders* BUT NO SHOTA LEMON YET. I'M SO, SO SORRY. If you want, I can just write a Wammy oneshot that's all smut, and you won't have to waste your time on this crappy story. *cries*

However, sorry for the sort-of-filler chapter. *sigh*

~FragilePuzzle


	19. Love

**A/N: **Oh my god. As I am writing this very sentence, I almost have two hundred reviews. Do you guys have ANY idea how happy that makes me? Like, seriously, I never thought anybody was going to LIKE this story~! A shout out to all of my readers, you guys have no idea how much I treasure every review…*sniffsniff* Now I'm getting all emotional…*sobs* THANK YOU SO MUCH! ILU ALL! ^_^

* * *

The next time the camcorder turned on, L could see that it was April twelfth. That date was known well among children and sweet-lovers for, well, the large supply of chocolates and brightly colored candy that the stores stocked their shelves with weeks in advanced.

Easter.

"CHOCOLATE! MATT, WHERE THE FUCKING BLOODY HELL DID YOU HIDE ALL OF MY GODDAM FUCKING CHOCOLATE?!" screeched Mello, running across the view of the camcorder.

The blonde ran frantically back and forth across the room he shared with Matt, desperately looking for what everybody guessed to be his Easter basket—which happened to be filled with delectable sweets of all kinds, mostly chocolate. The redhead was sitting on his bed, the camcorder resting on a windowsill, recording the meltdown he guessed Mello was about to have for his later viewing pleasure.

Two pairs of eyes turned towards the door as it slowly opened, a small, pale figure making its way into the room. Near was holding a small basket in his hand, the light pastel pink matching the decorative wrappers of many of the chocolates which were practically overflowing over the edges of the straw-woven container. Blue eyes greedily lit up as Mello looked at all of the chocolates he _knew _Near didn't really like. However, Mello had already resigned himself to finding his basket. Matt claimed to know exactly where it resided in their room, but even death threats did no good. He just wouldn't crack.

"Hey, Near," the two older boys said in unison, Near only nodding in response.

The smaller boy hesitated for a moment before going and sitting on the bed next to Matt, pulling a knee to his chest as the both of them watched Mello run back and forth across the room, throwing things left and right in a desperate attempt to uncover the hiding place of his precious chocolate. Finally, Mello threw up a blanket he had carelessly tossed on the floor earlier, finding a pale blue basket filled to the brim with chocolate and other sweets.

"FUCK YEAHHHHHHH!" he said, immediately opening a chocolate rabbit and snapping its head off. "Nothing is better than EASTER chocolate, let me tell you~!"

"What the hell is the difference between Easter chocolate and normal chocolate?" Matt asked, looking at him strangely. "I mean, chocolate is chocolate. There's really no difference."

"No…_difference_?" Mello asked, jaw dropping. "Then what the hell is the difference between Mario and Sonic?"

Matt's jaw dropped this time, looking at the blonde like he had just spoken of some atrociously heinous crime. The redhead pulled his goggles up around his head to hold back his hair as he exposed his bright green eyes, blinking at Mello a few times before opening his mouth to speak. However, Near managed to beat both of them to the punch.

"Mello and Matt are my friends, correct?" Near asked, staring out the only window in the room and not making eye contact with either of the other boys.

"Yeah…" Matt said cautiously, slowly turning his head towards Near, wondering what was wrong. "Mello is too, only…his pride won't let him say it, alright? So you don't have to worry about it."

Mello looked at Matt angrily, but made no move to disagree. The blonde then turned his focus back to Near, watching as his gray eyes moved themselves across the room, still not looking at either of them. Now that he started to think about it, Mello had noticed that Near was quite somber ever since he had walked into the room. Damn, even his aura was radiating depression.

"Have either Mello or Matt ever been in love?" questioned Near, finally looking at the both of them. "Have they truly loved somebody with all of their heart?"

Both boys seemed shocked at this, neither really knowing what to say. They couldn't just up and admit that they held feelings for each other, and they weren't going to. Not now, and probably not ever…it could only end badly.

"Why the hell do you want to know, midget?" Mello huffed, immediately going on the defensive. "That's chick-talk. No _boys _ever talk about sappy stuff like that. You talk about soccer, or maybe girls you think are cute, but never _love_. Everybody knows that."

"No, Mello, he's just curious. I mean, it's just a question…you should be able to answer it, unless you got _something to hide_," said Matt, elbowing Mello in the side for not being sensitive to Near's emotional needs. "It's not a big deal. But yeah, I've been in love before~! Still am~!"

Mello's eye suddenly snapped open as he swallowed a lump in his throat, wondering who the lucky girl was…that got Matt's attention…Linda, maybe? Emotions suddenly rose in him, pounding in his chest, anger and jealousy viciously attacking and consuming his mentality as he continued to think about which girl Matt could possibly like. One of the other _stupid _girls that did nothing but play with their hair and worry about their makeup instead of actually becoming SMART and earning his attention? One of them must know who it was, and if one of them knew, the rest would too. Girls could NEVER keep anything to themselves. If they knew something, they would instantly tell every other girl they knew, who would then tell every other girl that THEY knew, who would then tell—

You get the point. It was a vicious cycle, and it only stopped once every girl in the orphanage knew about whatever said secret was about. Mello would just grab one of them and beat some information out of her. Inwardly smirking, he vowed to make whichever girl that was stealing Matt's attention away from him…she would pay. He would beat her face in until it was black and blue, and then Matty wouldn't even want to look at her again.

Sometimes, even Mello couldn't understand his own thoughts. They were so violent…most people would be terrified or disgusted with themselves, but not Mello. Sure, he was a possessive bitch that hated sharing, but nobody else had to know. Whatever girl…was stealing his Matty away from him…he wanted to strangle her stupid ass. He was fucking going to.

The blonde stared down at the bed, blonde hair covering his face as his chest shook slightly. However, it was not with sobs. It was with small chuckles. Slowly, he looked back up at Matt and Near, who were just staring at him strangely.

"Well, JEEZ Mels, you don't have to LAUGH…" huffed Matt, crossing his arms and pouting.

"No…'s not that," said Mello, still smirking. "I'll be right back…"

The blonde stood up, trying to restrain the laughter that bubbled to the surface when he thought of exactly what he was going to do to that little bitch. Now he was mad…not many people found Mello to be pleasant company when he was mad. However, before the blonde left completely, he turned around and looked at the two other boys. They were both just sitting on Matt's bed, looking at him curiously.

"Have you ever been in love, Near?" he asked, smirk faltering. "You don't have to be afraid of saying so…swear I won't tell or make fun of you for it. You can tell us. We're…your friends."

"I suppose I have," Near said softly, twirling a lock of hair roughly as he looked up at Mello. "Yes, I am."

Now, something in Mello snapped. They were both in love with girls that had nothing to do with him…both of them. Even emotionally retarded Near had enough common sense not to fall in love with a crazy fuck like him. Eye twitching ever-so-softly, Mello nodded before walking out of the room completely, hand squeezing the doorknob as tightly as he could before the blonde shut the bedroom door behind him.

---_Back at Wammy's, off-screen, Easter_---

Mello ran down the hallways, not knowing where he was going, eyes scanning every possible place for any sign of a girl. Finally, he spotted a small blonde girl, just sitting at a table, swinging her feet back and forth as she wrote in a notebook. Mello didn't know her name, nor did he care what it was. All he knew was that she was too shy to talk to anybody, and only had one friend. The perfect target.

"Hi, Mello," she said, looking up at him and biting her lip.

Mello _was _going to convince her to go somewhere more secluded, so if anyone were to walk into the common room, they wouldn't be able to see that he was beating up a girl that was younger than him, but now his brain was completely clouded with the green haze of jealousy.

"Who is it?" he hissed, grabbing her by the collar of the shirt. "You're a girl, you must know. Tell me which girls Matt and Near like."

The girl squeaked nervously, dropping her pencil as she tried to pull away from Mello. The blonde boy only yanked her to her feet, shoving her up against a nearby wall as he brought their faces closer together.

"You know. I know you do. Who the fuck is it?"

"M-Mello, I swear, I don't know who it i-is! Y-you should ask L-Linda!" she pleaded, grabbing his single arm with both hands and still not being able to tug it off of the firm grip he held on her neck.

"Answer me, stupid bitch."

"I-I…I like Matt!" she said, her eyes narrowing. "But what's wrong with that? It's not like he's yours, so you don't get to decide who he likes and who he doesn't! Y-You can't—"

Mello cut her off by slamming her against the wall, blue eyes wild with fury. This was the girl, this had to be the girl that Matt liked. She was completely Matt's type, blonde hair, blue eyes, just about the same height as he was. Sure, she was shy with not many friends, but so was Near, and the three of them still hung out. This bitch.

"Mello, stop! I-I'll tell Roger!" cried the girl, eyes watering as if she were about to cry. "I-I—"

Mello cut her off with a punch to the stomach, a small choking noise slipping past her lips.

"Stay. Away. From. Matt. I swear to god that I will kill you if you don't," he hissed, meaning every word. "Nobody, especially not a stupid girl like you is allowed to take him away. Now, fuck off."

"Mello, y-you like Matt!" she whimpered, coving her stomach with her arms as if expecting another blow. "I-I'll bet that you like Near too! Y-you never let them have friends, o-or anything! If y-you really liked them, y-you would let them have friends, a-and just want them to be happy!"

Mello slowly turned back around, his eyes practically dripping hate before they softened, a sweet smile gracing his face. That was when you knew he was really mad. His voice dropped from a loud scream to a calm and even whisper, and he only smiled.

"If…if I really cared about them?" he whispered, voice even and questioning. "Who are you to tell me whether I care about them or not? Listen, you stupid little cunt. They are _mine_. I don't ever want some undeserving _bitch_ like you to get one of them, especially when you're not even worthy of being in their fucking presence. Now, understand, if you _ever_, and I mean _EVER, _tell anybody about anything that happened in this room? Anything I said, or did? I will make you _pay_."

She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again a moment later, not really knowing what exactly she should say.

"I-if you really cared about them…y-you would just want them to be happy…" she whispered. "Whether it's with you or not, and if you don't, you're just a possessive and terrible person! You can't have them both for yourself, and I bet that they're not even GAY!"

"What the fuck did I just say?" Mello asked, his voice still even and soft. "They're mine. Both of them, and if that makes me an uncaring, possessive, and terrible person…? Fine. I'm going to have both of them, just you wait and see. If they're not gay, I'll make them gay. So why don't you fuck off and find somebody else?"

With that, Mello left.

* * *

**End Note: **Hai gaiz! 8D

Erm, if you want…I may write a Wammy smut oneshot based around an RP I did, so if you want that…umm...review? Or you can tell me to bugger off and stop spamming fanfiction with my shitty attempts at writing smut. *shot*

~FragilePuzzle


	20. Hide

**A/N: **Okay guys…school is starting for me. I may not have time to write as often, if EVER, because this year is shit FULL for me. I have Spanish, algebra, advanced biology, I'm in my second year of college as far as English goes…and I have a crapload of homework. So I'm sorry if I rarely update, I may be able to more often once things smooth over. I had school orientation yesterday…^_^ It was relatively fun. I got mobbed by some people because I was wearing my L t-shirt, and I made two best friends~!

* * *

L wondered where Mello had went after he left the room, but Matt and Near quickly turned the camcorder off, as if they were going to talk about something they didn't want the camera to hear. It then flicked back on in the kitchen, where Matt was happily cooking away. The redhead set the camcorder on a nearby food shelf before going back to slicing vegetables, humming the Mario theme song cheerily. He then laid the tomatoes and lettuce out on three pieces of bread, making sure that they were all perfectly even and equal before adding some lunchmeat, as well as a small bit of mustard and mayonnaise.

"There!" he said, cutting the sandwiches diagonally before beginning to wrap them in colored cloths. "Perfect…um…I should probably pack juice…and a couple of extra chocolate bars for Mello, cause something is bound to piss him off…I wonder if Near likes juice?"

Matt ran back and forth across the kitchen, throwing everything into a picnic basket he had managed to salvage, one that had probably not been used since Beyond and A snuck out for picnics. Finally, the tall boy managed to get everything he needed, shutting the picnic basket, the lid barely closing over all of the delicious food.

"Now all I gotta do is find the two of them…" he said, grabbing the camcorder and the picnic basket, making his way into the hall.

The redhead didn't have to search for very long before he arrived at Near's room, knocking at the door softly. Somebody said, 'come in,' and that somebody was most definitely not Near. It sounded a hell of a lot more like Mello…but why would Mello be in Near's room?

Obeying, Matt opened the door and walked into the room, seeing that Mello was resting on the small boy's bed. However, Near was nowhere to be found. Even when Matt looked at Mello with questioning eyes, the blonde only looked at Matt uninterestedly, eying the picnic basket in the redhead's arms.

"Have you seen Near?" Matt asked, looking at Mello from underneath orange-tinted goggles. "I can't find him anywhere…"

"No, I've been waiting for him here, for, like, half-an-hour," said Mello, voice slightly irritated. "What's the picnic basket for?"

"We're going on a PICNIC!" Matt said excitedly, beckoning for Mello to follow him on their hunt for Near.

The blonde nodded, secretly very happy that the three of them were going on a picnic together. Especially after the whole fiasco that happened a while back…he didn't think that the girl had told anybody, and he wasn't planning on telling anybody either, so he had successfully escaped any sort of punishment he might have gotten for doing what he did. Not to mention she probably wouldn't go near Matt for a while, so he had gotten a double win.

"So, you have NO idea where he is?" asked Matt, handing the picnic basket to Mello. "You looked everywhere for him, and you still couldn't find him?"

"I got nothing," shrugged the blonde.

---_Off-screen, back at Wammy's, Fallon's room_---

"Are you trying to get me fucking killed?" one boy asked, looking at Near angrily. "Mello fucking kicked me in the face!'

"It was not my intention…to tell anybody…" whispered Near, mentally slapping himself for showing weakness. "I did not call for Mello, nor did I call for Matt. It was purely coincidence that the two of them walked in when they did."

"Swear to fucking god, your ugly little face just makes me want to fucking kick a puppy," hissed another boy, Near flinching slightly as he drew back his fist, lowering it a second later.

"I am almost positive that Fallon would feel the need to kick a puppy whether he was witness to my face or not," Near said, voice slightly stronger this time. "He does have quite violent tendencies."

"Shut the fuck up. Swear to god, if you didn't have Mello and Matt, I would have fucking kicked your ass by now."

"If Fallon is going to do it, he should go ahead and do it. Mello and Matt are not here right now, so he should feel free to," said Near, ashamed of the fact that he had to be 'protected' by the two other boys. "If he can, that is."

"NEARRRR?!" he heard a voice cry, one that sounded quite like Matt's.

"NEAR, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, I'M FUCKING SICK OF YELLING SO FUCKING LOUD!"

Yeah, it was definitely Mello and Matt. While all of the other boys were looking at each other nervously, Near saw his opportunity to escape and slipped out of the ring they had formed around him, walking over to the door and exiting the dark room. As soon as he was out into the hallway, he closed the door without a sound, sneaking up behind the two older boys, hoping they had not noticed that he had just emerged from Fallon's room.

"Hello," he said softly, walking in between the two of them. "Mello and Matt were looking for me?"

---_Back on-screen_---

Suddenly, Near popped up behind the two boys, a soft smile gracing his features as Matt jumped and Mello almost shrieked and dropped the picnic basket. After the two of them regained composure, Mello managed to answer Near's question with a nod, holding up the picnic basket to show him that they wanted to go on a picnic.

"We wanted to know if you wanted to go on a picnic," sighed Matt, turning around and walking backwards so he could film the two other boys. "I just thought it might be a fun way to spend the Saturday, but if you have something you were going to do, I mean, don't feel like—"

"You're coming with us," huffed Mello, playfully smacking Matt in the back of the head. "You don't get a choice in the matter."

Near nodded, twirling a lock of hair thoughtfully around one finger. A picnic might be nice.

---_A little while later, at a park not too far from Wammy's_---

"I cannot believe that Mello and Matt managed to convince me to sneak out of the orphanage once again…" said Near, looking around at the secluded clearing. "I thought they were referring to a picnic in the backyard…"

The two older boys had taken him to a small park, not too far from Wammy's…after sneaking out of the orphanage, of course. It had a large pond in the middle of it, and one or two benches that were surrounding the large tree right next to the water. There was a swing that hung over the middle of the pond, tied to one of the strongest branches on the tree, one that might be fun to jump off of when the water was warmer.

"Yeah, well, Roger won't catch us this time," smirked Mello. "And if he does, I'll say that I kidnapped the two of you, alright?"

Near nodded, smiling a little up at the blonde, watching as Matt laid out the checkered blanket for the three of them to sit on. The redhead plopped himself down in the middle of it when he finished spreading it out, gesturing for Mello and Near to sit down on it as well.

"Okay guys, I made us lunch~!" he said happily, snatching the picnic basket and camera from Mello.

He set the camera up on the top of the picnic basket after dumping the contents of the basket on to the blanket, still smiling happily. He handed juice and a sandwich to each of them, setting a handkerchief filled with cookies in the middle of the three of them, handing a chocolate bar expectantly to Mello.

"Did Matt make this?" Near asked, taking a tentative bite of his sandwich. "It is…quite good, actually."

"Ew, tomato?" Mello asked, chewing his sandwich with a strange look on his face. "You know I hate tomatoes…"

"I know that, dummy," said Matt, still smiling. "But you need to have your vegetables, and I'm only worried about your health because I CARE about you~! You can't just eat chocolate all the time, you know. It's not GOOD for you~!"

Mello gave Matt the stink-eye, but quickly polished off his sandwich nonetheless. It was pretty good, and it was made by Matt…so it was almost like they were on a date…the three of them…they _WERE_ eating lunch together, all alone, out in a pretty park.

It was a date for sure. Mello just knew it. It was just…erm…they wanted to hide it from themselves.

Let him have his fantasies.

"And Near, I made you that sandwich because I never see you eat anything. Are you anorexic, or something? When's the last time you ate? Seriously, I worry about the two of you sometimes. Mello, you ingest way too much fat, and way too many calories, and Near…you never ingest anything," said Matt, his lips pursing as he looked at the both of them in the same way a mother might look at her misbehaving children. "I'm seriously gonna kick your butt. I mean, do I have to feed you or something? You can't expect me to make you lunch every day!"

"Why not?" Mello asked, chugging his juice in hopes to satisfy the redhead so he could get to his chocolate. "'S not like you got anything better to do, anyways."

Matt made a face, looking like he was going to say, 'Don't you sass me, boy,' but decided against it. Saying that to Mello might not be too great for his health. Instead, he nodded as a signal that Mello could eat his chocolate. The blonde only wondered why he had to get the go-ahead from Matt to eat his own damn chocolate.

"Now, Near, you are going to eat all of those cookies. Seriously. Those, or some of Mello's chocolate…your choice. You need some fat in you," said Matt, being the mother hen of health once again. "Now that I think about it, you're not concerned about your appearance enough to starve yourself. That, and you're not dumb enough…but whether you want to or not, you're gonna gain five pounds, you little shrimp. If I have to shove my cooking down your throat daily, that's fine."

Near only shrugged at Matt, drinking his juice slowly as he took a tentative bite of a cookie that rested in the middle of the blanket. This was…quite an enjoyable picnic. Butterflies and dragonflies darted around in the warm spring air, the day being surprisingly nice. Matt's cooking was actually really good, but being in the presence of the two other boys is what really made it great.

Soon enough, all of the food was gone, and Matt packed all of their garbage back into the basket. Littering was gross. The three of them only sat there, nobody really knowing what to say anymore, each trying desperately to stop themselves from doing what they really wanted to do. Hiding feelings as strong as theirs were was harder than it sounded.

"I guess we should get going back to the orphanage~!" Matt said happily, slipping his goggles back down over his eyes. "We don't want Roger to miss us, or anything."

"I guess…" said Mello, standing up and handing the camcorder to Matt, grabbing the picnic basket for himself.

Near waved a soft goodbye to the camcorder, a small blush crossing his face as the tape faded out to Mello trying to cram their picnic blanket into the basket.

---_Back at Wammy's, off-screen, when the three get back from the picnic_---

Mello snuck back into the orphanage with Matt and Near, the blonde really having to go to the bathroom. He told this to Matt and Near, demanding they go wait back in Near's bedroom for him, and that he would meet him there when he was done. They both nodded and walked off, Mello heading the opposite way, briskly walking off towards the bathroom. However, on his way there, he saw three boys huddled together... talking about something...and he was almost CERTAIN he had heard one of them say, 'Near.'

"You think he ran off and told?"

"Nah, dude, Near wouldn't tell anybody…he'd probably be embarrassed…besides, we already—"

"Already did what to Near?" Mello asked, ice in his voice. "What the fuck did you do to him…_Fallon_?"

The three boys turned around and saw Mello, turning to run away from him, but Mello grabbed Fallon by the shirt and yanked him back. Let the two other boys go. Fallon was the one he needed in order to get to all of the others.

"You fucking piece of trash…" growled the blonde. "I swear to god, I'm going to kill you if you ever lay a hand on Near. I will fucking kill you, and you know I'm not kidding."

With that, Mello threw him backwards, leaving him on the floor, trying to keep himself from running back there and kicking his ass. Seriously…what the fuck WAS it with Matt and Near? Were they just…was everybody attracted to them, or beating them up? How many people was he going to have to threaten to kill before he finally made them his?

* * *

**End Note: **I can't wait to write the next chapter…it's going to be FUN! But don't you just LOVE how I tease you like that?

~FragilePuzzle


	21. Sick

**A/N: **Aw, what do you guys MEAN you don't like it when I tease you? What's WRONG with you? I didn't mean smut or anything…I just liked the idea of this chapter! GOSH. IS THAT ALL YOU THINK ABOUT?...well, it's all I think about too, if that makes you feel any better. ^.^

* * *

The camera flicked on, but it was not back in Near's room like the three said it would be when they turned it off last. It was obviously a few weeks later, probably about mid-spring now. L wondered what had been keeping them from documenting all of the time…it seemed as though the closer together they grew, the more they forgot about the camcorder.

But the raved haired detective could not decide whether that was a good thing or not.

---_On screen---_

Mello and Matt were lying in their respective beds, each boy looking as terrible as they probably felt. There were tissues scattered about the floor sporadically, and occasionally, one of them would sneeze or cough. It was apparent that Near was the one behind the camera, and Light almost snorted as the boy set the camera down on a shelf and sat down next to Mello. He was wearing a doctor's mask over his mouth and nose, even though it didn't quite look like he was going to do any surgery. It was probably only to keep the germs away.

"Does Mello…or Matt…feel any better?" he asked, looking at each of them in turn. "They certainly seem better than yesterday…"

"Just because I'm not puking—"

Mello was interrupted by a series of sneezes, Near only flinching as the blonde buried his face in his pillow.

"Ugh…I want my DS…" whined Matt, groping his nightstand blindly in an attempt to find the game system. "D…S…where is it…?"

"Matt should rest instead of playing his DS."

"—doesn't mean I still don't f—"

"DS! I want my DS…!"

"—feel like s-shit!"

"Be quiet," Near said firmly. "Matt is to go to sleep, he is NOT going to get his DS, and Mello should not try and talk while sneezing."

Both older boys looked at him like he had just sprouted tentacles out of his eye sockets. Near had NEVER spoken up like that before…he was always quiet and refrained, but now it seemed he was taking on Matt's role as the mother with misbehaving children.

"Now, I will be right back. I am going to get Mello and Matt something to eat, now that they are not throwing up. Please do not move."

Mello and Matt only looked at each other as Near left the room, snickering before they were interrupted by coughs and sneezes. In a few minutes, Near came back with two bowls of some kind of soup, handing a bowl to each boy before huffing and sitting himself down on the windowsill of the single window in the room. He watched carefully as they ate, wanting them to get better as soon as they could, having heard that soup was good for you when you were sickr.

"Hey Near…" Mello said, his sneezing fit having stopped. "Why do you care if we get better or not?"

"Mello and Matt are my friends, are they not? I believe I read somewhere that friends look out, and take care of their other friends. I wish to look out for and take care of Mello and Matt. Does Mello not wish me to do those things?" Near asked, looking directly at the sick blonde.

"It's not that I don't WANT you to…" sighed Mello, running his fingers through his hair. "I just—"

Mello quickly covered his mouth, Near running over to him and grabbing a pot he had in the room just for this occasion. The blonde snatched it out of his hands, leaning over it and retching, choking and sputtering afterwards. He was about to wipe his mouth off on his shirtsleeve, but Near stuck a towel in front of his face instead.

"That is kind of disgusting," he said, walking over to the door and going to empty the pot. "That is why I brought Mello a towel."

Mello only stuck his tongue out at Near, grabbing a glass of water he had on the nightstand next to his bed and washing his mouth out. Ugh…he hated being sick. He couldn't even eat chocolate. It tasted nasty, and he couldn't keep anything at all down, so chocolate was a no-go.

"Mels…are you okay?" Matt asked, lifting his head weakly, trying to look at the blonde. "I mean, does your throat hurt or anything? You've been puking a lot more than me, so I figured your throat would hurt…or something."

"My throat hurts, yeah," he said, rubbing at his throat as he took another drink. "And my head's spinning, but other than that, I'm mostly just stuffy. But whatever, it's fine. I don't want people to worry about me, or pity me, or any shit like that. That's stupid. "

"Mels, you can't help that you're sick. It'd be one thing if you got dumped by some girl and wallowed around in your self-pity, but this is just something you can't do anything about," nodded Matt, lying back down and pulling the covers tightly around himself. "People are gonna worry about you whether you like it or not, you know. Especially me and Near, cause you know, we're your friends and stuff. So whatever…erm……yeah."

"Psh, right," said Mello, lying back down as well. "Anyways, get your ass to sleep, or Near's gonna go psycho on you. Not even kidding. He'll probably flush your DS down the toilet."

"Ohmygod…" Matt whispered, obviously terrified. "Are you serious? He has it?"

"Yes," Mello said gravely, enjoying tormenting Matt. "And…he's in the bathroom."

Matt quickly sat up, holding his hand to his forehead as he tried to steady himself and run after Near. He had stumbled about halfway across the room before Near came back in, holding a completely dry and washed pot in hand. Gray eyes narrowed as they saw Matt, and the redhead only stumbled forward another few paces before he collapsed onto the small boy, the fever making his legs shake and his head spin.

"Why…is…Matt…out of…bed?" he asked, legs wobbling and threatening to give out as he was forced to bear the weight of the older boy. "H-he should be lying down!"

"Mels said you were gonna flush Mario down the toilet…" he sniffled, not trying to fight back as Near helped him back into bed."You wouldn't do that, would you Near?"

"Matt's fever is very high…" sighed Near, pressing a hand to Matt's forehead. "I suppose he should put a cold towel on his forehead…"

"Near, Roger said he wasn't gonna buy me another DS, if I broke the one I already have…" whined Matt, still not struggling as Near helped him under the sheets. "I-I would die without Mario…I would just rot away and die of boredom…"

"I have not flushed Matt's game system down the toilet," said Near. "It is only safely put away."

Matt gladly collapsed, falling right to sleep as the fever wracked his body. Both other boys worried about the redhead…he had been delirious and sporadically PMS-y for the last few days. One second he would be worried about the both of them, and the next he would be ranting about Super Smash Brother's slash, whatever the hell that was.

"Do you think he'll be all right?" Mello asked Near worriedly, looking at the smaller boy with wide eyes. "I mean, he's been acting pretty fucking weird over the last few days."

"Matt will be okay. His body is strong, and it should be able to fight off whatever infection it is fighting," said Near, looking over at Mello after he pushed the redhead's bangs from his sweaty forehead. "But he needs sleep…and so does Mello."

"Yeah, yeah," the blonde sighed, running through his fingers through his hair. "But seriously, do you really think you're gonna get sick from us? You don't need to wear a germ mask…"

"I suppose…" Near said softly, slipping the mask off of his face and setting it down on the table. "But I will only leave it off if Mello assures me that he will go to sleep."

"Whatever…" muttered Mello, trying his best to stifle a yawn. "But don't worry about getting sick…I promise you won't."

"Very well. Mello may go to sleep now."

Near watched as Mello let his body relax, the blonde quickly falling into a fever-induced sleep. The small boy collected everything in the room that could possibly contain contaminants, going to wash them out so Mello and Matt would not become even sicker than they already were. However, when Near was reaching behind Matt's laptop (which was lying open on the desk, or screensaver mode), he bumped it. The black screen switched to a black and red striped one, and Near saw that Matt had many different folders on his desktop. School…school…school…profiles…cheat codes…

And then, there were many different icons, each one showing a cute boy. Near wondered what they could be…so, despite his better judgment and the small bit of moral character he had left, the small boy sat down and looked around nervously before clicking on one. A screen showed up and asked him if he wanted to continue, start a new game, or just play for fun. He chose to continue Matt's game, deciding that he could just close it without saving and the redhead would be none the wiser.

Near's jaw dropped as his character was welcomed back into a bedroom, a large bed with satin sheets resting in the middle of the—Near would say exotic-looking, but he was almost positive that word was an understatement—room. Two half-naked _boys_ rested on the bed, one with medium-length blonde hair, the other one with short white hair. If Near hadn't known better, he would have thought that these characters were modeled after Mello and himself…which was only becoming more and more uncomfortable to admit as the 'game' proceeded.

"Master," said the dialogue box, the white-haired boy speaking. "We have been waiting for you…"

"Oh, but Master, we've been two _very _naughty boys…" said the blonde boy, winking as he rolled over on to the bed, hands roaming the white-haired boy's back.

Near couldn't tear his eyes away as he watched the option box pop up. He had a choice of three things to click on…there was "I suppose I'll have to punish you, then," or "Have you been touching yourselves again? Naughty boys!" and last but not least, "God, that adorable little face is just begging me to fuck you until you scream. Take off your panties and bend over."

Near, as shaky and embarrassed as he was, couldn't help but pick, "I suppose I'll have to punish you, then."

The blonde boy then handed him a pair of handcuffs and a whip, handing the toy to the white-haired boy before cuffing one of his hands to the bed, gesturing for the player to cuff the other one. Near did. Nobody was watching him, and he was curious as to what might happen if he were…to…well…_whip _the blonde boy.

"Here you are, Master," said the white-haired boy, bowing down slightly as he handed the whip to the player.

Near now had another choice. He could reward the boy by biting his neck (which, if you asked Near, wasn't much of a reward at all), punish him by whipping him as well, or just take the whip and do nothing. He decided that he would bite the other boy, seeing what reaction it might provoke, curious to see whether he would truly enjoy it or not.

As the player leaned over and bit the smaller boy's neck, a pink flush covered his cheeks, a moan that could be heard through the computer speakers slipping past his small pink lips.

"M-Master…" the text box read. "P-Punish me…"

'Wait your turn,' [punish him], or 'Show me how naughty you can be, and maybe I'll consider it' were Near's choices.

"Wait your turn," the dialogue box read, the player taking the whip from the small boy. "I have to punish him first."

The player turned to Mello, pulling back the whip and cracking his wrist, whipping the boy across the front of his chest. Suddenly, an "A-AH, MASTER!" escaped the laptop speakers, making Near quickly slam the device closed. God, he hoped he hadn't alerted anybody…if he had, he was in deep shit.

The small boy didn't even have time to ponder on the fact that he now knew Matt was gay before he ran off, going back to his room, the camera dying a few minutes later.

---_Off-camera, back at Wammy's_---

Matt awoke to the loud sounds of "A-AH, MASTER" of which he recognized to be from his favorite sim game. It wasn't his favorite because of the originality, dialogue, or gameplay, but simply because two of the boys you could chose to make your slaves looked exactly like Mello and Near, and just whipping them and sticking those huge dildos into them until they screamed was enough to make him come in his pants without even touching himself—

Wait. If he heard that, it must mean somebody was playing his game. Holy shit.

The redhead shot up in bed, but all he could see was his laptop, lying closed and safe on the desk. However, Near was nowhere to be found…maybe the small boy was playing his game, and then ran off because he got a boner?

Nahhhhh.

---

L coughed, trying to break the awkward silence that had fallen over the taskforce.

"Watari, please see to it that the children no longer have their own laptops," he said, looking at the older man with wide eyes.

"Yes sir."

Yes sir indeed.

* * *

**End Note: **LOL YAS. Matt has gay S&M punishment sims on his computer. God, I was CRACKING UP when I was writing that. Kinkeh secks FTW! But see, that was ALMOST smut! Matt admitted that he wanted to shove dildos into Mello and Near until they screamed! ^_^

~FragilePuzzle


	22. Dare

**A/N:** NO LEMON IN THIS CHAPTER EITHER. GOSH. But dude, that game in the last chapter? I don't think it exists, but if it does, and I find it, I'll let you guys know.

Right after I play it.

* * *

Mello turned the camera on and set it on a shelf, showing the task force that they were in the room he shared with Matt. However, just as he opened his mouth to speak, Matt came bursting into the room. He didn't say anything before he grabbed Mello's arm and the camcorder, dragging them into the playroom. Near, Linda, and a few other of Linda's friends were sitting on the floor in there, and a few of the girls clapped excitedly when Matt yanked Mello into a sitting position next to Near. The redhead set up the camcorder to record them before joining the circle the other children had formed.

"What. The. Hell."

"I believe we are playing a game called 'truth or dare,'" said Near, looking over at Mello as he twirled a lock of hair around his finger. "I have never played it, but Matt said—"

"Matt, you dumbfuck. I'm NOT playing truth or dare with you, Near, OR these girls," Mello hissed, gesturing to the other girls.

"But Mellooooo…" one girl whined, looking at him with large brown eyes. "It's no FUN if no boys play…and you and Matt and Near were the only ones that would play with us!"

"It's like that for a reason," said Mello, looking at her scornfully. "Nobody wants to play with a whiner, or annoying girls like you."

"Mello, please won't you play?" Matt asked, giving the blonde large puppy eyes through his goggles. "Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?"

As soon as Mello nodded, sighing as he completely folded under Matt's look, he knew he was going to regret his choice. There was the girl he had beaten up, sitting in the circle across from him, just eyeing him with a slightly malicious look. Malicious looks never equaled anything good for Mello.

"Okay, I'll go first~!" Matt said "Bellatrix, truth or dare?"

The blonde girl turned towards Matt, biting her lip in contemplation. So her name was Bellatrix, huh? Dumb bitch was still talking to Matty…HIS Matty. Was he going to have to rip her vocal cords out or something? However, she said truth, and Matt asked her some dumb question, and then she answered it. Matt really didn't pay that much attention to her…he was just nice to her like he was to everybody else, so maybe this wasn't the girl he had a crush on?

"Okay Mello, truth or dare?" Bellatrix asked, turning towards him, small smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Either one could only end in disaster, but as Mello thought on his emotions, he immediately picked Dare. That way, he couldn't be suckered into telling everybody that he liked Matt and Near, and he wasn't considered a pussy for picking Truth (which was, according to him, only for wimpy girls).

"Dare," he said, smiling as he looked over the girl, wondering what kind of dare she could possibly give him.

Instead of speaking out loud, like she should have, Bellatrix crawled across the circle and over to Mello. She leaned over, blonde hair brushing Mello's cheek as she whispered into his ear.

"_Seduce Linda…and make her believe it_."

With that, she backed into her spot across the circle, sitting down and smiling innocently. Mello only jawdropped, but quickly tried to recover, clearing his throat before speaking up. His voice cracked slightly as he looked over at the blonde girl with pigtails, bouncing around and looking at everybody with cheery brown eyes. _She_ seemed excited, but Mello? Not so much.

"What did she dare ya, Mels?" Matt asked, grinning over at the blonde.

"S-she, uh…I…" stuttered Mello, groping blindly for some sort of response. "I-I'm sorry Bellatrix, but you're not really my type. I couldn't do that with somebody I don't like that way…I like blonde girls, but…you know, they'd have to be smart and go to Wammy's obviously…but you know, you're just not _artsy_ enough. I LOVE art, so I think I'd need a girl who loves it too!"

Mello glanced over at Linda to see if the girl was paying attention, and oh she was. Her face was a furious red and she only opened her mouth enough to stutter, 'I-I like art.'

Oh god, Mello was dying on the inside.

So were Matt and Near…so Mello's type was artsy blonde _girls_? That kind of shot every chance in the book. Neither of them happened to be blonde, particularly artsy, or a GIRL. So the two of them were forced to watch as Mello continued to blatantly flirt with Linda, a slight hint of boredom in his eyes. However, Linda's best friend, Cynthanie, saw how Linda's big brown eyes were flickering back and forth between Near and Mello. She knew that Linda liked Near, but hell, Mello was pretty good at flirting. That must have been what Bellatrix dared him to do.

"Okay, Cynthanie, it's your turn," said Matt, forcing a smile to plaster itself on his face as he watched Mello flutter his big blue eyes cutely.

"Linda, truth or dare," she said seriously, as if the fate of the world depended on Linda's decision.

"I-I'll have dare, thank you!" Linda stammered, the small girl having quite a few secrets she would not like exposed.

"Kiss Near," demanded Cynthanie, voice still as somber and serious as ever.

Linda blushed at the very thought, turning to Near and looking at him nervously. Very slowly, she scooted towards the pale boy, her hands wringing each other out. Near also had a small and barely noticeable blush on his face as he leaned forwards, going to bring his lips to meet Linda's—

"U-Um!" Mello interrupted, clearing his throat. "W-wait!"

He knew that it was extremely possessive, but the only ones he _ever_ wanted to kiss Near were him and Matt. And the only reason he didn't mind Matt touching his purity was because he loved him, and trusted him with the small boy…but Linda? No. That just wasn't going to happen. Mello and Matt were the only two people in the entire world who had ever kissed Near, and that was not about to change. No matter what Mello had to do…even if it meant kissing Linda himself.

Closing his eyes, Mello grabbed the collar of Linda's shirt and clumsily pressed their lips together, closing his eyes and trying to pretend that it was somebody else. Yes. Somebody, ANYBODY else. It was Near. He was kissing Near. Hm, Near let out quite girlish squeaks.

Finally, after that, Mello pulled away from Linda and sat back down, resisting the urge to go and rinse his mouth out with toilet bowl cleaner and disinfectant. God, never again would he kiss a girl. It was a lot different than kissing another boy.

"M-Mello!" the pigtailed girl squeaked, looking at him with eyes the size of plates.

"Mello?" Near asked, eyes wide as well.

Matt forced a snicker, as if he found the whole situation funny rather than heart-shattering. He knew he didn't have a chance with Mello…and Near was even more out of his league. Well that was a bit of a depressing thought…kinda ruined his day, just a bit. Now he was in no mood to play truth or dare…or any game, really. No rush to get back to his dating sims when they were going to be all he had to grow old with. Yes. He was going to have to play dating sims with cute little uke boys for the rest of his life. Kinda even more depressing. Though he liked dating sims, they were kind of unintelligent and repetitive…nothing with Mello or Near was ever unintelligent or repetitive. Not to mention real picnics and real kissing and really making them scream would be so much better.

But now, Mello and Near were rivals in love, both lusting after Linda. Matt bet that they were going to have some kind of sexy threesome time, and he would just be left to rot in front of his computer screen. Maybe he would get really fat, and ugly, and then he could never win them over. Then the three of them would run off into the sunset and ditch him at Wammy's, and he would be the poor little boy that got abandoned by his only friends, the one that everybody pitied but nobody really liked.

"Matt…earth to Matt…" Mello said, waving a hand in front of the gamer's goggled eyes, scowling at him as he looked up and made eye contact. "What the hell is wrong? You were just staring off somewhere with a horrified look on your face!"

"Ah…erm, nothing?" he suggested, looking up at Mello with wide green eyes.

"You're such a dumbass sometimes. Now, are we done with this stupid game yet?"

Mello looked around and saw that none of the girls objected, so he grabbed Matt, Near, and the camcorder and stormed out of the room. God. He needed chocolate and mouthwash. Mostly mouthwash. Never again…never ever ever ever ever EVER again. That was the most disgusting thing he had done…but turning and looking around to see Near's gracious look was enough. Gray eyes were wide in adoration as he silently thanked the blonde. Maybe he didn't actually want to kiss Linda? Maybe he liked Bellatrix, or Cynthanie, or maybe it was Linda and he just didn't want to admit it. Well, whatever it was, Mello and Matt were still the only ones who had ever kissed him. That was (almost) enough for Mello.

Mello took Near and Matt back to the room he shared with Matt, shutting the door behind the three of them. With just a look, Matt was pulling out a chocolate bar and handing it to the blonde, smiling a small yet sincere smile at him. So predictable. The fiery black-clad boy ripped the wrapped off, cramming as much into his mouth as he could fit. God…he had kissed Near. Or Matt. Not Linda. Hell, he would have rather kissed L than Linda.

"Did Mello…enjoy kissing Linda?" Near asked, Matt's eyes asking the same thing.

"NO," Mello spat, stuffinig more chocolate into his mouth a moment later. "Bellatrix dared me to seduce Linda and make her believe it! I was only doing my dare!"

Of course, it came out more as "Bewwatwix," but both boys got what he was saying. Both internally sighed with relief. Mello didn't really like Linda…it was a dare. That was a relief.

"Soooo, Mels, you don't really like, 'blonde girls, but…that'd have to be smart and go to Wammy's obviously…but you know, they'd have to be _artsy_ enough. Because you just LOVE art, so I think you'd need a girl who loves it too!'" Matt mocked, the conversation having been burned into his mind with the terror that he would lose any chance he had with Mello.

"You know, shut up," said Mello, polishing off the rest of his chocolate bar, the Linda-taste in his mouth gone. "I don't judge you, you don't judge me."

"You just can't stand you lose, can'ya?" the redhead asked, smiling.

"Damn straight. I'm not going to, either. Not now, not ever…I always get what I want, in the end."

* * *

**End Note: **Silly Linda! Girls are for straight boys!

~FragilePuzzle


	23. Swim

**A/N: **Umm…lessee…I just wanted to say thank you guys for reading this far, and especially for reviewing! Whenever I'm at a block in the story, I just look at your guy's awesome reviews, and I immediately get inspired again! BUT HOLY FUCK GAIS. 300 REVIEWS. HOLY FUCKING SHIT THANK YOU SO MUCH. ;w;

* * *

Mello searched the corridors of the orphanage, looking around with the camcorder, searching left and right for somebody…or, some-bodies. It wasn't too hard to guess who it was he was looking for, but that was beside the point.

Finally, he walked past a large window and saw Matt and Near outside…which was quite strange for either of them. Usually Matt stayed inside unless Mello dragged him out, and the same could be said for Near. Another thing that was unusual was that Near didn't have any toys, and Matt had no videogames. Strange. They also appeared to be looking for somebody, so the blonde made his way out the front door and to the backyard, wondering if it was him that they were waiting for.

"Hey," he said, seeing them turn around through the viewfinder of the camcorder. "What's up?"

"Heyhey Mels~!" Matt said cheerily, smiling brightly at the blonde. "We were waiting for you~!"

"What for?" asked Mello, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well, you remember that picnic we had a park in…er, I mean, park we had a picnic in?"

"Yeah, I guess…but it's too hot today to go on another picnic. It's summer…there would be bugs and bees too."

"Yeah, but there's a lake not too far from there! I would say that we go swimming in the pond, but it looked kinda gross…and the lake has a dock and stuff, and you can jump off of it…it'll be fun! Near even said he would come too, and I know where the sunscreen and towels are…it'll be really fun!"

"Yeah, yeah…" sighed the blonde, deciding that it would not be wise to pass up the chance to see Matt and Near in swimsuits. "Just lemme go get my swimsuit. You're in charge of everything else."

Matt did a little victory dance before standing up and grabbing the camcorder, explaining to Mello that he had to pack it before flicking it off.

---_Later that day, in front of Wammy's_---

Matt stood out in front of the orphanage, by the gates, seemingly awaiting Mello and Near. Within a few seconds of turning on the camera, the two other boys walked out of the entrance of the large building, closing the heavy wooden doors behind them. They ran across the large front yard as Matt began to make his way over the gate, the three of them each having developed their own strategy for scaling over the high walls that separated them from the rest of the world.

One by one, each of them dropped down to the ground outside of the orphanage, Matt first and Near last. They began to run in the direction of the park, only slowing down when they decided they were far enough away from the orphanage that nobody would catch them, or had spotted them.

"Hey Near, you ever been to the beach?" Mello asked, curious as to whether he would go and drown if they left him alone too long.

"No, I have never been swimming at a beach…nor do I recall I time I have ever been swimming, unless Mello considers falling through the ice of a pond 'swimming,'" Near said, small smile on his face.

"Never been swimming?" Matt asked disbelievingly.

"That is correct."

"You'll have fun, I just KNOW it!"

"How could you know whether he's going to have fun or not? I mean, you can't answer for him, Matt."

"Because. I just know it. I do. Who _doesn't_ like swimming? Huh? Nobody."

"Not _everybody_ likes swimming, Matt."

"You know what?"

"What NOW?"

"I think you just like to argue with me."

"So what if I do?"

"That's not very nice, Mels."

"I know."

"You should be nice to me."

"Why?"

"Because I'm your friend."

"Whatever."

Near smiled as he looked at the two of them. They always play-fought like this…it was cute, in a way. He had never had anyone he could talk to like that. In all actuality, he was quite jealous of the relationship Mello and Matt possessed. It was like they were best friends, yet you could sense that they loved each other. How one interpreted that love was completely up to oneself, but Near tried to think of it as just a friendship-type of love. It subdued the ridiculous emotion known as 'jealousy' further than thinking of it as romantic love would.

"Okay, only about twenty minutes left…" said Matt. "You guys wave goodbye to the camcorder, and I'll turn it back on when we get there."

"Why do we have to wave goodbye to the camcorder every time?" sighed the blonde, grudgingly waving.

"Because I think it's CUTE!"

With that, the camcorder faded to black. It turned back on a few seconds later, showing an empty beach with a crystal-blue sparkling lake on the horizon. It was simply gorgeous in the warm summer sun, the water sparkling like it was scattered with glitter or diamonds.

"It is quite beautiful…" said Near, Matt focusing the camcorder on the smaller boy, watching as he took in the sight.

"SWIMMING!"

Mello ran down the empty beach, tossing the small bag that held all of his things down on to the beach before stripping himself of his shirt and pants. He had his swimming trunks on underneath the black jeans, so he was able to run straight into the surprisingly cold water without a second thought.

"FUCK!" he sputtered, reemerging after he dove into the lake. "T-That's really cold!"

Near and Matt made their way slowly down the beach, setting up the blanket that Matt had brought before sitting themselves down on to it, not getting any sand on their pristine clothes. A few moments later, Mello came running over to them, sitting down right next to Near. He shook his head, much akin to a dog, getting all of the extra water droplets off. Smiling brightly, he beckoned for Matt and Near to come join him in the water.

"It's not that cold~!" he said, the refreshing water having put him in a good mood. "You guys have to go swimming too!"

Near knew that the water had to be quite cold, seeing at how hard Mello's nipples were. Really, he hadn't been staring at them. He was observing a scratch on Mello's bare torso, and his eyes wandered to Mello's flat stomach, and then they just happened to flicker over his chest, and it was only common sense that they noticed the blonde's pert nipples.

He wasn't a pervert.

Never.

Finally, Matt shrugged and stood up. He took off his striped shirt and tossed it down on to the blanket, unbuttoning his pants a second later, slipping them off and dropping them into the pile with his shirt. Taking his goggles off a second later, he bent down and looked Near straight in the eye.

"You gonna come in?" he asked, smiling softly. "It'll be fun, I promise."

Near nodded, blushing deeply as Matt began to unbutton his shirt. A few seconds later, gaming-adept fingers had undone every button, and the plain white material was on the blanket. His pale torso was exposed to everybody (everybody being Mello and Matt, as the rest of the beach was empty), and Near suddenly felt quite embarrassed.

"I s-suppose we should go in the water," he said, standing up and slipping his pants off to reveal, surprise, white swim trunks.

The small boy ran down the beach, his petite feet thudding gently against the sand. He really hoped that Matt didn't see how erected his nipples were…the sight of the two half-naked boys was enough to get what little libido he had into gear. Then, when he felt Matt's warm hands against his cold skin—

Near's daydreams were interrupted as he ran into the freezing cold water, a surprised squeak escaping his lips. Well, the water solved his inner turmoil. He was worrying about what might happen if he were to get an erection, but now…well, there was no chance of that happening.

Matt followed close behind the smaller boy, having set up the camcorder to record them swimming. The redhead wondered if they were ever going to watch these tapes again someday…reminisce a little. Might be nice, so he figured that he could save them for when Mello and Near ran off into the sunset together, leaving him as that poor little boy at the orphanage that everybody pitied, but nobody really liked.

Was it just him, or was he even more depressing than usual?

However, the redhead decided to distract himself by taking advantage of the position Near was in. The small boy was standing knee-deep in water, his small frame shivering and shaking, his back to Matt. The gamer then snuck up behind him and swept Near into his arms, not even giving the small boy a chance to squeal again before he threw him into the deeper water.

A second later, Near reemerged at the surface, coughing and sputtering as he shivered even more.

"C-cold!" he cried, desperately rubbing his hands against his arms to try and warm himself up. "F-freezing!"

"Aw, it's not that cold!" laughed Matt, diving underwater and popping back up a second later. "You just have to get moving!"

The three swam together for the next twenty minutes before they were too blue and shivering to continue. They ran back over to their blanket, each grabbing a towel and wrapping it around themselves. Suddenly, Matt just burst out laughing.

"W-we're kinda stupid..." he said, rocking back and forth as continued to shiver. "E-even though i-it's summer, t-the water i-is fucking f-freezing! T-that's why t-there's nobody at the b-beach!"

"I-If M-Matt will r-remember c-correctly, i-it was h-he t-that s-suggested w-we c-come t-to the b-beach," said Near, shivering madly. "S-so h-he h-has n-nobody to b-blame but h-himself."

"Y-you're a dumbass, M-Matt," Mello said, trying not to shiver as much as the two other boys.

"W-wanna go play in park before we g-go back to the orphanage?" Matt asked, looking over to the grassy park. "T-there's a soccer ball over there…"

"S-soccer!" said Mello, standing up and ditching his towel as he ran over to the grassy field.

Matt and Near both followed him over to the park, Near carrying the camcorder this time. However, Matt spotted a large tree, beginning to climb up the branches without warning. Mello turned around and ran back, watching the redhead make his way up the tree, watching him nervously.

"W-what the fuck do you think you're doing?" Mello asked. "You'd better be careful, dumbass!"

"I'm tree-climbing, and I will~!" laughed Matt, waving down at the both of them. "It's nice and warm up here!

Matt had almost reached the top branch when he was reaching for the next, trusting his body to keep its balance as he let go of the branch with both hands. However, a second later, his footing slipped and he fell. The redhead went tumbling back to the ground in a blur, the few seconds he was falling flying by in the mere blink of an eye. The next thing Near knew, the redhead was lying on the ground, his twisted arm underneath him. All Near had heard was a sickening crunching noise, which he guessed was Matt's arm cracking underneath the weight of his body.

The redhead let out one pained cry before he bit down on his lip, not wanting to worry the two other boys. Well…they were already worried, and they both ran over to him, but he didn't want to make them any more afraid for him.

"Matt, fucking Jesus Christ, I told you to be careful!" Mello said, immediately beginning to panic as he saw that Matt's bone was sticking through his arm. "What the fuck?!! We need to get you to the hospital, r-right away!"

"Mello, we must be careful not to tear the flesh of Matt's arm any further…" Near said, gray eyes widening as Matt couldn't help but let out another pained cry. "H-He will bleed to death in no t-time at all unless we get him to the hospital…"

"Mattie, we're gonna take you to the hospital, okay?" Mello asked, gently pushing his hair back from his forehead. "N-now, I'm gonna go get somebody, and Near will stay right here with you. I'll be right back, swear to god, but if you bleed to death, I'm gonna kill you."

Mello ran as fast as he could, out of the park and down the nearby street, the dropped camcorder only catching a glimpse of his feet after that. Near desperately pressed a hand to Matt's forehead, considering creating a tourniquet to keep Matt from bleeding to death as thick red liquid continued to stream freely out of the gash in his arm where a large shard of bone was sticking through. It hurt him so much to see Matt in such pain…

"Please, s-scream if that is w-what Matt must do…" Near said, not knowing what else to do as he pulled Matt's head into his lap, rocking back and forth slightly. "Matt must let his body e-express the p-pain…"

Matt slowly opened his mouth; letting out a strangled cry he had tried to swallow as not to worry the younger boy. His voice was gurgled with pain, and it made Near almost begin to cry to see him hurt so badly. It was terrible. If he hadn't known that Matt and Mello were both in no position to keep a straight head, he probably would have broken out sobbing. It physically hurt him to see Matt in so much distress.

"Please, Matt, do not w-worry…Mello will be back with an a-ambulance," whispered the small boy, stroking Matt's hair as he let out another loud cry.

After a few more minutes of Matt letting out choked sobs and strangled cries, Near placing soft kisses on the redhead's forehead the whole time, Mello came running back with a few men. There was an ambulance following them, and before the three boys knew it, Matt was behind carried into the back of the ambulance, and Near, Mello, and the camcorder were all being herded into the back with him.

"Matt, please hang on," said Mello, looking at the doctors desperately. "You can fix him, right?"

"We'll try our best, son…" said a black-haired man, looking at Matt's arm gravely.

"I-I'm really d-dizzy…" Matt managed to say, his arm still bleeding wildly as his words became surrounded with faltering cries. "I-I have to throw up…"

"P-please help him…" Near begged, a single tear escaping his large gray eyes.

The doctors began to work as the ambulance carried the three boys to the hospital, neither Mello or Near worrying about anything but Matt. The camcorder died a few minutes after they were led into the hospital with an unconscious Matt, but it didn't seem as if either of them noticed or cared at all. They could only continue to beg the doctors to fix him, everybody around them turning their heads to see whose voices hiccuped such pitiful cries of desperation.

* * *

**End Note: **Aw…poor Mattykins…if only this was a PWP, then Nurse Mello and Nurse Near would have to take care of him~! ; D

USE YOUR IMAGINATIONS! IIIIIMAAAAGINNNNNAAAAATIIIOOOONNNN. *is shot for being a jackass*

~FragilePuzzle


	24. Sexuality

**A/N: **I have a favor to ask of you guys…I'd be really grateful if you could go to my page and vote on the poll I have there. ^_^ I want to see what kind of stories you guys want me to write next, and that poll will help me decide, so it would be doing me a big favor if you could take a second and vote. Thank you, and now I'll get on to the story! u__u

* * *

Just as the taskforce members were trying to figure out what happened to Matt, the camcorder turned back on. It was probably a few weeks later, but the redhead was smiling happily and waving, black and white cast covering the arm he had broken. It had probably been just a plain white cast, but it looked like Mello had amused himself by coloring black stripes on it with sharpie markers.

"Damn, when's the last time we documented?" Mello asked, the one who was behind the camcorder this time. "Seems like it's been forever…"

"I guess so," smiled Matt. "But we're really only documenting cause we got a problem."

"That's right," agreed Mello, setting the camcorder down on a shelf of some sort before going to sit over by Matt. "Linda is trying to get Near…to fuck her."

"Dude, that's not it at all."

"It_ so_ is! Why the hell else would anybody want to go out with Near?"

"I dunno, maybe because he's a neat person?"

"Did you just say 'neat'?"

"…Yeah…it didn't really process until it came out."

"…you're so stupid sometimes."

"Hey Mels?"

"Yeah?"

"I just realized something really funny."

"Hm?"

"I said, 'Yeah…it didn't really process until it came out.'"

"How's that funny?"

"That's so a 'that's what she said' joke, Mels."

There was silence in the room until both boys suddenly broke out laughing simultaneously, looking at each other and laughing more. After a few minutes, they managed to calm down, and Matt remembered why they had started up the videotape in the first place. Serious looks overcame their faces once again, eyes deadening as they realized that Near might leave them for Linda.

"Like we were saying, it's terrible," sighed Matt, running his fingers through his hair. "Linda and her friends have been totally hogging Near, and we've had no time to hang out together anymore. It kinda sucks, and I miss the little puffball."

"And everybody knows that once he starts going out with Linda, he'll just start ignoring us, and we'll totally have wasted all the work we put into making him a normal human being on LINDA," spat Mello, crossing his arms as he looked at Matt. "So we have to get him back."

"Damn straight," Matt nodded.

"Let's go then…it's about feeding time."

Matt went to grab the camcorder, but then remembered he couldn't hold it properly because of his broken arm, so he asked Mello to grab it for him. The two older boys walked down the many halls of Wammy's before arriving at the normally-deserted playroom. For the past few days, Near had not been the only one in there. There was usually about six or seven girls in there with him, and they weren't the smartest if they were trying to be discreet.

"Hey Near?" one of them asked.

"Yes, Savanna?" he asked, not looking away from his blank puzzle.

"What do you think of Linda? I mean, you think she's cute, right? Because, she totally is. I mean, you'd be blind if you didn't recognize THAT. And she's really nice, and good at art, so you know what I think? I think you should take her to the dance this winter. It'll be really fun!" Savanna said, smiling at some of the other girls like they were getting some joke that Near wasn't.

"I do not have a particular opinion on Linda," his soft voice said, free hand going up to twirl a lock of hair. "And I was not planning on attending the dance."

"Aw, but all of the other boys would be jealous that you had a cute date like Linda!"

"Jealousy is a petty emotion," said Near, highly doubting that any of the other boys would be jealous if he had LINDA as a date. "And I am not seeking any more attention than I already receive."

"But—"

Mello and Matt decided that it was time to save poor little Near from any of the attacks that quickly grew blunt and vicious, so they walked into the playroom. Matt sat himself down next to Near while Mello plopped in front of him, shielding him from the girls that were sitting across the room.

"So Mello and Matt have finally arrived…" breathed Near, looking up at them with adoration in his eyes. "It was terrible…they never cease."

"I know, right? Sorry we took so long," said Matt. "Dude, DON'T go out with Linda. Trust me; you don't wanna go out with any of the girls HERE. They're all so messed up…"

"I was not planning on 'going out with' Linda anytime soon…" he muttered, going back to his puzzle.

"Mello, Matt, what are YOU two doing in here? We were having a PRIVATE conversation with Near, and I don't remember inviting YOU TWO," sneered Savanna, her and a few other girls walking over to the huddled circle that the three boys had made. "Soooo, why don't you butt out, or something? You're really annoying."

Mello only smirked, standing up, full ready to protect his property. If it was up to him, these annoying excuses for human beings would not even be allowed in the same room as the two of them. They weren't even worthy.

"Hey, Savanna?" Mello asked, sweet smile quickly turning ugly. "Why don't you leave him the fuck alone? If he wants to go out with Linda, he will, okay? He doesn't need your…_encouragement_, and we don't want to hear it."

"M-Mello, you're not supposed to decide for him!" she said angrily, trying to push past him.

"I said, _leave him alone_," said Mello, his voice betraying nothing as his face that Matt and Near could not see radiated pure murder. "He'll go out with Linda if he wants to, and that's his choice. How do you know he even likes girls, anyway?"

There was silence in the room. Pure, dead, hear-a-pin-drop-on-the-carpeted-floor silence. Near continued to work on his puzzle, of course, but he was blushing furiously underneath those long white bangs…he just hoped that nobody could see. How did Mello KNOW? H-he had been sure to cover everything up, maybe he had just made a small slip, kept his eyes lingering for a second too long, WHAT could he have done that would have given himself away?

"Near…erm…is that…um…?" Matt muttered, picking at a thread in the carpet.

Mello just gave Savanna and her friends an evil look that officially signed their death contract if they did not get out speedily and silently. So, the little gaggle of girls left without a word, and Near didn't even notice that they were gone. He just continued to put together his puzzle as if none of this had happened, and neither Mello nor Matt had questioned his sexuality.

"Near, are you gay?" Mello asked, looking at him disbelievingly. "Like, or are you bisexual, and just hot for everything that moves?"

"Hey, that's a stereotype…" muttered the redhead, wondering if that was what Mello would think of him…if he told the blonde that he was bisexual.

"Yeah, well, sorrrrrrryyyy…" Mello huffed sarcastically, crossing his arms and looking at the two of them. "So Near, if you're not straight, then you have to be—"

"I suppose that I am pansexual," he interrupted, voice softer than it had ever been. "If Mello must know, I do not see gender…as a factor…in l-love…"

"Well, we all know that Mello is gayer than Shuichi from Gravitation, so that clears the air a bit on that subject," Matt said, smiling brightly at the other two boys, trying not to squee with some sort of fanboy-ish delight. "But Near, what's the difference between being bisexual and pansexual…?"

"Pansexuality is defined by the ability to love regardless of gender, and bisexuality is the sexual attraction to people of either gender," said the small boy, clicking the last piece of his puzzle into place. "I do not favor a particular gender, nor do I feel a strong sexual pull to either. Bisexuality is when you feel a strong pull to both, if I am correct?"

"Matt, what the fuck is Shuichi from Gravitation?" Mello asked, the redhead blatantly ignoring him.

Suddenly, it hit Matt. Near must have been the one playing his dating sim…and when the redhead opened the laptop a few weeks back, it was still on…in his favorite game…and somebody had ran off in the middle of punishing the boys. It hadn't even gotten to the good part yet. Sure, whipping them was plenty good, but it was more fun to play with them until they were begging Matt to—

Just thinking about Mello and Near doing that gave the redhead the shivers. He…needed…to…do…SOMETHING. At least he had a chance in hell, now, because Mello hadn't denied being gay, and Near said that he was pansexual.

Now the only task he had to accomplish was actually getting them.

Mello just shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts as he looked at Near. The smaller boy was still doing that same puzzle over and over, but Mello could see that his hands were shaking slightly. So…he was gay. Or pansexual, but that was gay enough for Mello. Psh, Mello knew that even if he was straight, he could get him to turn gay. He was just grateful now, because this meant a lot less work.

However, the blonde's eyes quickly flickered to Matt. Mello had basically admitted he was gay, Near had blatantly admitted he was pansexual, but Matt had managed to sidestep the question completely. The innocent-looking redhead appeared to be off in dreamland somewhere, and Mello wondered what he could possibly be thinking about. Probably one of those videogame chicks with the huge boobs.

"Matt, me and Near answered, so it's your turn," the blonde said, snapping Matt out of his trance. "Are you straight, or gay?"

The redhead looked at Mello and Near in turn, shrugging his shoulders slightly as he adjusted the goggles that rested over his eyes. He might as well tell them the truth…he usually WAS an honest person, and this should be no exception. From what little he remembered of his parents, he remembered that they had always taught him to be honest, and this wasn't like they were asking him to admit that he liked them or anything.

"I'm bisexual," he said to no one in particular. "I guess I like guys and girls, I just never thought about it before."

Mello shrugged, trying to hide his inner glee. Matt had said 'guys' before he said 'girls' so that meant that he probably like guys more…or maybe Mello was just over-thinking things. Like Near. Well, there was still that girl he was in love with…or maybe it was another boy. That would make it even worse. But Mello wasn't going to stand for that, he refused to lose his Matty to anybody here. Nobody was going to touch Near either, what with the adorable boy blushing and shaking from answering such a simple question. They were officially marked as his.

"Well, erm, that was…an interesting conversation," grinned Matt, eyes catching sight of the camcorder. "And lookie here, we got it all on tape, too."

"Thaaaaat's great," Mello sighed, grabbing the tape and quickly flicking it off.

-

"I-I knew it!" Matsuda said excitedly, looking at everybody with his trademark grin. "Now they can live happily ever after!"

"No, no, not yet," scolded Ide. "They still have to get up the courage to tell each other."

L sighed, wondering if the taskforce members were taking this as a reality TV show, or the actual reality of these children's lives.

---_Back at Wammy's, the night after the last documentation_---

Matt bit his lip as he looked over at Mello, the blonde sleeping peacefully on the bed on his side of the room…god, it hurt so bad, and it would feel so good, but what if Mello woke up? It might not seem too weird for something a fourteen-year-old was doing, but it would certainly be…awkward. Especially if Mello saw what was on his laptop.

The redhead was sitting on his bed, his laptop resting on his pillow, headphones covering his ears as moans continually poured from the small speakers. Yup, he had done exactly what he did when Mello wasn't there—played his S&M punishment games and then masturbated. The key word being when Mello _wasn't_ there. But tonight, he was just so bored, and he was only planning on playing a dating sim one…but his subconscious dragged him towards the punishment game with the Mello and Near lookalikes, and…well…here he was.

"M-Master, h-harder master!" the blonde boy begged, Matt letting out a small groan as he looked over at the actual thing. Of course, the deep sleeper had not budged an inch, but that could change any time now.

Matt tried to distract himself once again, shifting in his seat as he turned back to the computer. Normally, he would have just turned it off, but he had to _save_…he had spent too long repeatedly disciplining the two boys, so he couldn't just waste all that work.

"Please master, e-enter me…" begged the white-haired boy, looking up at him through thick lashes as he slipped two fingers into his own entrance. "I-I n-need master…i-inside of m-me…"

Hm…now Matt had four choices. He could continue to whip the blonde boy, begin to whip the white-haired boy as punishment for beginning to touch himself, fuck both of them, or take care of the goddamn painful erection that was straining against the zipper of his jeans.

Eh, he chose option four. However, first, he chose to fuck both of the boys, deciding that they had endured enough punishment. The redhead turned up the volume on his computer so their moans would flood through his headphones as he unzipped his pants, body practically screaming for relief.

Mello's eyes shot open at the sound of Matt's sweet groaning, wondering what the fuck the redhead could possibly doing this late that would cause him to groan like that. Well…now that he thought about it, there were really only two possible options that made any sense at all. One, he was fucking somebody, or two…he was…well…touching himself.

Without alerting the redhead, Mello rolled over on his side, only peeping out from underneath the covers. Matt was sitting on his bed, goggles off and on the nightstand somewhere, his laptop on his pillow and his pants unzipped. The blonde could only watch as his face flushed a bright red, his lip trickling out blood from where he had bitten it in attempt to withhold his moans.

Blue eyes traced the cord that lead from Matt's headphones back to the computer, wondering what the fuck he could be listening to that could be so enticing that it would cause him to have to jack off…was it porn or something? Apparently…there were two squirming and moaning boys on a large bed, a blonde one and a white-haired one…but that was the last thing Mello wanted to watch now.

His eyes traveled back to Matt, watching as his expression melted into one that was completely orgasmic, an unintentionally loud and lusty moan escaping his lips. His back arched as he came into his own hand, letting out two other soft cries…ones that Mello could have _sworn_ sounded like 'Mello' and 'Near,' but maybe he was just tired from staying up too late.

The redhead quickly took off his headphones and focused back on his laptop, which was now at a save screen. He pressed save and closed the device, body tired and begging for rest now. Green eyes flickered over to Mello's bed as he thought he heard a rustle of the covers, but it was probably just Mello shifting slightly in his sleep.

Matt set his laptop on the floor next to his bed before lying down, wiping his hand off on a tissue and making sure that there was no evidence that he had been doing something that he probably shouldn't be doing in front of his roommate. After tossing the tissue into the garbage, the redhead collapsed on to his pillow, now-exhausted body quickly drifting into a dreamless sleep.

Well, now Mello had a problem. Damnit.

* * *

**End Note: **Hehe, Mello and Matt got jealous…BUT SILLY LINDA, GIRLS ARE FOR STRAIGHT BOYS, DAMNIT. Oh, and haha, yes, they are eventually going to realize their feelings. I'm kinda writing this story based on an experience I had…I hid my love for an entire year, but then an awkward circumstance forced me to admit it. : P

_**THE SMUT WILL BE IN…*counts* LESS THAN EIGHT CHAPTERS. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY.**_

~FragilePuzzle


	25. Realization

**A/N: **I wanted to give you guys a little present…enjoy the chapter, yes? Kit-Kat Punk-Lover gave me the idea for the end of this chapter, so thank HER for being my mini-muse~!

**SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG TO UPDATE. SCHOOL IS A MONSTER. D:**

* * *

Mello watched the two boys from across the common room, jealousy plastered to his normally angry face. L watched him, the camcorder barely recording him as he was forced into the background…it was not intentional, but over the last few-minute entries, it showed that Mello was apparently trying to force himself away from Matt and Near.

For reasons unknown, something had snapped in Mello, and it seemed as if he was…well, not necessarily ANGRY, but he was holding something against them.

Unbeknownst to everybody else, Mello was confused. He couldn't understand how he felt…he had beaten up yet another girl, but badly this time. Apparently, she was the one that Matt liked, but then he found out that a girl just told him that so that he would beat her up. He was so confused…these feelings were so harsh, all he knew was that he loved them, but he couldn't understand how it could just WORK like that. They brought out in the best of him towards THEM, but towards everybody else? It made him violent and extremely possessive. Which were not usually admirable traits.

So now, he was stuck. He could be selfish and make them his, or be self-destructive and watch the two of them grow closer and closer as they HAD been doing, but even the thought of that tore him apart. He couldn't stand it. If he moved closer to them, he would hurt everybody, including himself.

For the last month, he had been selfless, withdrawing himself from every ounce of contact with the two of them. They had been so confused at first, sending him pitiful looks with wide and questioning eyes as he ignored them in the hallways. Eventually, they just assumed that he was being PMS-y and would snap back to his normal self any day now.

Any day now…

Matt and Near were talking in front of the camcorder, something about homework and what was for dinner that night, but all Mello could think about was how badly he wanted to be there with them. He wondered if Matt and Near were as confused as he was.

Matt knew that he wasn't…all he could think about was doing the things he did to the boys in his games to the actual Mello and Near…he wondered how sweet Near's screams were, and how loud Mello would groan when he came.

What could he say? He was an extremely hormonal teenage boy. And…well…he basically thought about sex, food, sex, videogames, sex, violence, and sex.

Near was a bit confused…he had never been in love before, so he didn't know whether or not he was in LOVE love with Mello and Matt, or if he just viewed them as big brothers. If only he had some sort of sign that would confirm it all.

He would suggest a sexual experience with either of them, but then again, he wasn't about to go up to Matt and ask, "Hey Matt, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to have sex, because I'm just not sure if I'm in love with you or not."

So the three of them just continued on with their lives, each spending every moment—both waking and sleeping—simply thinking about each other.

---_That night, back at Wammy's in Near's room, off-camera_---

Near tossed and turned in his pure white bed, the sheets sticking to his abnormally sweaty skin. A few timid moans escaped his lips as he sunk further into his dream, letting the pleasant images wash over him. He was sitting in Matt's lap, the redhead's lips at his neck, nipping and biting just as the player had in Matt's videogames…and it did feel good. Mello was in front of him, unbuttoning his pure white pajama top, letting his hands run over the smaller boy's pert nipples as a smile played over his face. Near simply arched his back into Mello's touch, moans slipping past his lips as the redhead's hands caressed his sides.

"Mello…M-Matt…" he whimpered helplessly, only being able to watch as they continued to touch him. "I-It feels…g-good…"

Before he knew it, his shirt was on the floor, Matt's mouth at his neck and shoulders. Mello's mouth was at his chest, licking, kissing, sending shivers up his spine as he seemingly ran his tongue over every sensitive spot on Near's body. Gently, Matt pulled Near back against his chest, letting the smaller boy rest his head of white curls against his shoulder.

"You're so cute, Near," Matt whispered, his lips moving to Near's jaw as his hands caressed the smaller boy's erected nipples. "Me and Mello have been waiting so long to touch you like this…tell him, Mello. Make sure that our baby knows that he's loved."

"I never thought you were my rival…" whispered the blonde, slipping Near's pants off. "Nobody could know, not even you, but you were just so cute I HAD to touch you…"

Near only whimpered, watching as Mello's hands ventured down his torso, body tensing slightly as they neared perversion. However, Mello only took off his own clothes and got onto his knees in front of Matt and Near, pulling Near out of Matt's lap and into his own arms. He rubbed their bare bodies against each other, kissing Near deeply as Matt stepped off of the bed and walked over to a closet he hadn't known that he had in his room.

The redhead came back with two pairs of handcuffs and two collars, somehow having changed into a pair of plain black pants and taken off his shirt in the second he had stepped behind the door of the closet. Near also noticed that he had a policeman's hat resting on his head…and it seemed as though he was quite confident with his skills with those handcuffs.

Suddenly, Mello had taken on a different personality completely. The blonde was acting…just as the blonde boy was from the punishment sim was.

"Oh Master, we've been so _naughty_~!" he purred, cupping Near's ass in his hands. "Won't you punish us? Please, Master?"

Near faintly heard the word, 'Master' slip from his lips as he felt Matt gently put the collar around his neck.

"You two have been such naughty boys!" the redhead said playfully, green eyes only watching as Mello continued to grind against Near. "So naughty…no touching yourselves!"

"But Master, Near is the one that's touching me…" grinned Mello, grabbing Near's hand and placing it on his side. "And I'm touching him…so…I guess you can't punish us~!"

Near let out a weak mewl as Mello gripped his hips tightly, bringing their groins together and beginning to grind against him, satisfied moans escaping both of their lips. Spasms of pleasure wracked Near's body, he had never felt anything like this before, it was just so good, Mello's body against his, touching him in every place it felt gratifying, lips at his ear, whispering sweet nothings.

The small boy felt Matt behind him, his hands rubbing Near's back as he positioned himself on the bed. Ever-so-gently, he began to grind against Near's backside, the smaller boy now enveloped in a heat of warmth, and kisses, and downy hair with soft touches covering every inch of his skin –

"M-Matt!" he moaned, feeling the redhead push two cold and wet fingers into his entrance.

All Near could do was continue to moan as Mello got down on to his hands and knees in front of him, grabbing on to his thin hips and stilling his bucks and squirms. The small boy didn't know what the blonde was going to do, but his eyes flickered back to Matt as the redhead whispered his name.

"Near…do you want me to punish you, or make you feel _good_?" he asked, hands playfully darting to Near's chest and beginning to rub his swollen nipples. "You haven't been naughty…Mello's not getting punished either, though, because he gets the privilege to touch your gorgeous body…you'll have to help me deal with him later. Now Mello, make your baby feel good."

"Mm, yes Master…" Mello whispered, tracing his tongue down the length of Near's erection. "You taste so sweet, Near…"

Near arched his hips, Matt quickly grabbing them and holding them still, teeth gently nipping at his neck in a warning of sorts. Mello quickly took his small cock into his mouth, beginning to bob his head and swirl his tongue along the throbbing vein on the sensitive underside of his erection, more loud moans falling from Near's lips. The blonde's hot mouth felt so good, every small hum or moan of contentment he made sending shivers up Near's spine.

"M-Mello!" he moaned, feeling Matt slip his lube-coated fingers back into his tight entrance. "M-Matt—I-I…!"

Near felt Mello suck particularly hard, the ball of fire in the pit of his stomach suddenly becoming hot and tight to the point where he felt it _needed _release, more than anything. His lips parted in a loud cry as he squirmed and gripped desperately and Matt's arms, wanting something, anything to hold on to. He could feel Matt's lips at his ear, softly whispering his name and telling him something, but his brain refused to comprehend what it was through the haze of pleasure that overcame his body.

"Near…"

"Near…?"

"NEAR!"

The small boy felt somebody shaking him, and ever-so-slowly, he faded out of his pleasant dream and back into reality. Slowly, the small boy blinked his eyes open, hazy sleep still deluding his brain. He could faintly make out Mello and Matt, but he wasn't exactly sure if it was a dream or not.

"Well, it's obvious what kind of dream little Near had…" smirked Mello, softly gesturing to the bulge in Near's pajama pants, the small boy's bedsheets askew and not covering his body at all.

Near shot up in bed as he saw that this was NOT a dream, and that Mello and Matt WERE in fact, in his bedroom…and they had probably realized by now that he had an erection. Greaaaaat. Well, this was officially one of the most humiliating experiences of his life. So Near did the only thing he knew how to do.

He blushed and ran out of the room, brain dully registering that Mello was with Matt…the blonde was back, he supposed. One other thought ran through his head as he slammed the door to the bathroom behind him--he definitely did NOT think of Mello and Matt as big brothers.

* * *

**End Note: **I felt bad for leaving you guys without smut for so long…so I added that as a main part of the chapter. And yas, Near has kinkeh dreams. With Mello and Matt acting OOC to suit my own twisted mind. ^_^ Haha, but I felt like this chapter was filler...but the dream was actually to help Near realize how he really felt about Matt and Mello. SO, now we KNOW that they can be gay for each other, and that they technically ARE.

~FragilePuzzle


	26. Birthday

**A/N: **Hehe, this chapter is where the climaxing (LOL) drama starts…as in shota yaoi, but no lemon (yetttt…). It's to make up for the filler last chapter.

* * *

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHEEP!"

The camcorder flicked on just as Mello and Matt burst into Near's room, the small boy nowhere to be found. Simultaneously sighing, they flipped on the light and looked for any sign of where he might be. However, his room was as neat and perfectly organized as ever, no clues as to where he could possibly be left anywhere.

"We already checked the playroom, the kitchen, Linda's room, our room, and the common room…he's nowhere," complained Mello, flopping down onto the small boy's bed. "Where the hell else could he be? I mean, especially on his fucking BIRTHDAY, you'd think he'd have enough decency to show up for the party we're trying to throw him."

"Yeah, trying. Where else could he be…? He never GOES anywhere else!" Matt wondered aloud, shrugging his shoulders as he turned the camcorder off once again.

---_Off-screen, back at Wammy's, August 24__th__, a few hours earlier_---

Near had just been wandering the hallways aimlessly, wondering where Mello and Matt were…he had not seen them all day. As selfish as it was to want to waste their time, he honestly wished that he could have had a happy birthday this year. It would have been nice to spend it with the two of them, but he figured that they had just realized how much they truly hated him. That MUST have been it…because usually, both older boys spent the morning scouring the orphanage for him, and the three of them were reunited by nine-o-clock. Today, it was already three-thirty, and he had seen no trace of either of them. They probably just realized that they didn't want to be 'friends' with him anymore.

God, he sounded so paranoid.

However, as he turned a corner, making his way to Mello and Matt's room, he heard a voice speak up.

"Hey Near, we got you a birthday present…"

Near didn't even have time to turn around before he was hit roughly in the side, being thrown to the ground. Thanks to dealing with Mello for years, he forced his body to swallow the pained cry that threatened to escape his lips, instead turning his head and observing his attackers. Why was he not surprised when he saw who it was?

"Hey, sheep," smiled Fallon, nudging him in the side with the toe of his shoe. "How're ya doing today?"

"W-what does Fallon want with me?" he asked, voice slightly shaking from the pain in his side.

"You're an annoying little fuck, and I want to make you pay, that's all~!"

"Explain to m-me…what I have ever done to Fallon…t-that would make him feel the need to inflict physical pain on me…a-almost every day…"

"Oh, but today, we have a _special _birthday surprise!" he smiled, roughly yanking Near to his feet by his curls. "Now why don't you come to my room, and we can show it to you!"

Near obviously had no say in the matter as he was roughly dragged to Fallon's room, about five or six other boys accompanying him there. He didn't have to be told that something worse than anything they had ever done before was going to happen, and despite the normal cool and calm mindset he had, the small boy was actually shaking with nerves. It had been one thing when Mello used to beat him up, because as masochistic as it sounded, at least the blonde would be paying attention to him and ONLY him as he attempted to strangle him.

"Get in," Fallon demanded, apparently the ringleader in this operation.

Near was shoved into the room, seven other boys following him in. Great…maybe he was going to be kicked in the stomach until he bled out of his mouth, or MAYBE he was going to get stripped and humiliated in the common room again! Such fun birthday presents!

"I guess we'll have to wait until everybody's at dinner…" said Fallon, sighing an overdramatic sigh. "That gives you two-and-a-half hours, sheepy. See ya later."

With that, six of the boys left the room. Only one stayed so he could sit in front of the door, effectively preventing Near from having any sort of chance at escaping the room…unless he managed to think his way out of this one.

---_Back on-screen, Wammy's, five-thirty_---

"Where the hell could he BE?" Mello asked, walking backwards so that he could face the camcorder. "I mean, we've been looking for him ever since we got his surprise all planned out!"

Matt was going to say something when he saw Fallon and five other boys come walking down hall behind Mello. The blonde heard them, and he quickly whipped his head around, eyes narrowing furiously as both boys plainly heard 'Near."

"Fucker," he hissed, walking up to them, talking to Fallon in particular. "What the fuck did you do to Near? Do you remember what we talked about?"

Mello wrapped a single hand around Fallon's throat, shoving the brown-haired boy back seven or eight paces and up against the wall. He was immediately considered a threat by Fallon's posse, but the first boy to try and attack the blonde had his arm twisted behind his back by Matt. The redhead dropped the camcorder, and it landed at an awkward angle so it could still record what was going on, and it showed as the normally peaceful Matt wrenched the other boy's arm as hard as he could.

"What did you DO?" he asked, furious eyes hidden under orange-tinted goggles. "What did you do to Near?"

"Fuck, man, let go of my arm!" the boy demanded, his face going green with pain as Matt only pulled it further.

"Not until you fucking tell me what you did to Near, you disgusting son of a bitch."

Mello's eyes widened, his grip on Fallon's throat loosening slightly. He had NEVER, EVER heard Matt say a bad word to somebody, not if it would insult or hurt them in any way. Matt had just wrenched another boy's arm behind his back and called him a son of a bitch.

Mello was SO hot for him right now.

However, as he was paying attention to Matt, Fallon saw his opportunity and flipped Mello against the wall. The older boy then brought his face down to eye-level with Mello, smirking as he gave him a once-over. No matter how much the blonde struggled, Fallon's grip on his throat did not loosen.

"You know, on second thought, even though you're a fucking fiery brat, you're even cuter than N—"

Fallon didn't have time to finish his sentence before Matt was over by Mello, grabbing the other boy's head and slamming it against the wall, leaving him slouched over and out cold on the floor. His eyes were filled with a rage that Mello had never even seen in his own, and he probably would have killed Fallon if Mello hadn't stopped him.

"M-Matt, I'm fine," he said, rubbing at his throat as he watched the other boys run away. "T-Thanks, t-though…"

Mello had never felt weaker or shakier than he had at the moment, but he had also never been madder at himself. Matt had to save him from Fallon…he hadn't been able to keep the other boy from getting some sort of advantage over him. God, he was supposed to be the terror of the orphanage!

"Mels, your throat is black and blue…" Matt said worriedly, grabbing Mello's wrist as he attempted to hide his neck, not wanting to feel any weaker than he already did. "How hard did he squeeze…? You have nail marks on the side of your neck…we should get you to the nurse…"

"Not until we find Near," Mello said, his voice slightly shaky. "H-He's in Fallon's room…I-I just know it."

Matt nodded, making sure Mello was okay to run before grabbing the camcorder off of the floor and handing it to Mello. The blonde eyed it questioningly, but Matt silenced him by putting a finger over his lips before he could even speak up.

"If we get into another fight, there's no way in hell that I'm letting you fight like that. I'm still fine."

Mello nodded, despite his better judgment and worry for Matt, and the two boys quickly made their way to Fallon's room. Matt was the one who kicked the door open, brutally shoving the boy who was supposed to be keeping watch out of the way. They walked in and saw that Near had huddled himself up in the corner, nervous eyes looking up at Mello and Matt as they busted in. It only took the raising of Matt's fist to get the other boy to run out of the room, the two older boys running over to Near immediately, worry plastered all over their faces.

"Near, what did they do to you?" Matt asked, lifting up Near's shirtsleeves and pant legs to look for any bruises or cuts.

"We should get him to the infirmary, o-or something…" Mello said, voice still weak.

Suddenly, Matt got another one of his furious looks on his face. Near's torso was black and blue, a few scrapes and shallow cuts on it as well. It seemed like the boys had focused all of their attacks on a place they knew would be hidden under Near's shirt once summer was over, because the only time he was without a shirt was when the three of them went swimming. That way, they wouldn't be busted by Mello and Matt again.

"Near…" said Matt, his voice shaky as he looked back and forth between Mello's now-slightly-swollen neck and Near's beaten torso. "I'm going to be right back, okay? You stay here with Mello. Neither of you move a muscle until I get back, promise?"

Both other boys nodded confusedly, watching as Matt's hands clenched into fists and he made his way out of the room, the camcorder suddenly turning off.

---_Off-screen, back at Wammy's, in Fallon's room with Mello and Near_---

"Near…" Mello asked, gently running his fingertips over Near's stomach. "Does it hurt really bad?"

Near nodded, the bruises making it painful to breathe, let alone move and speak. However, he had no time to do any of the said three things as Mello leaned over, pressing a kiss to his lips. The small boy was completely flustered as he gently kissed back, both boys pulling away a few moments later.

"H-Happy birthday…" Mello whispered, turning around and ignoring him before he could ask any questions.

---_Off-screen, back at Wammy's, with Matt_---

The redhead made his way down to the hallways, nails digging into his palms as he thought about what Fallon had done to Mello and Near. He was going to kill him for that. Nobody was allowed to touch the two other boys except for him. Nobody. Especially not anybody that wasn't going to make them feel good, like he would.

Matt arrived in the hallway where he had left Fallon, the brown-haired boy now sitting up against the wall, nursing his throbbing head. A dangerous smirk came over Matt's face as he walked over to him, clenching and unclenching his fists as he tried to control his anger.

"Fallon…" he whispered, yanking the other boy's head up by his hair. "I'm going to put you though every ounce of pain you put Mello and Near through. I'm going to hit you until you're bleeding out of places you didn't even know existed. I'm going to choke YOU until your neck turns black and blue, and I'm sure I can find some people to gang rape YOU. I swear to god, if it's the last thing I do, I'm going to make you pay for ever even THINKING about hurting them."

Fallon only struggled slightly, trying to worm his way out of Matt's grip.

"You are the most disgusting, sick little fuck I have ever met, and I don't think you should be in this orphanage anymore. I don't care if I have to throw you out the fucking window, or if I have to drag your dead corpse out the back door, you ARE going to leave. You don't deserve to be here. As soon as I take Mello and Near to the infirmary, you're going to get busted when they ask what happened. I'm going to tell them every fucking sick and twisted thing you did to them. And one way or another, even if I have to rot in hell for the sins I commit while I'm doing it, I'm going to get you out of this fucking orphanage and away from Mello and Near. Do you understand me?"

However, as soon as Matt said that, a small smile came over Fallon's face.

"I-I was going to rape Near…" he smirked, looking up at Matt as if he had won the lottery. "I was going to pound into him until he screamed my name and came, and then I would take his virginity to the _grave_. After him, I was going to kill Mello…I was going to rip his pretty boy face off and slit his throat, and then I would laugh as he bled to death in front of me, crawling along the floor, his blue eyes being stabbed out, just dangling out of his eyes sockets as he screamed for help, and then I would break his neck and kill him…"

Matt let out a scream as he began to hit Fallon as hard as he could, not caring what kind of punishment would be dealt to him for it. He was going to make him pay, he was going to make him pay, he was going to make him fucking pay. In less than two minutes, there were several adults trying to tear the two of them apart, each struggling and screaming and kicking, trying to get at the other. Tears were streaming openly from Matt's eyes, furious and angry threats still falling from his lips as he continued to picture the scenes Fallon had described.

However, the redhead calmed down as soon as he saw Mello and Near, standing in the circle that had formed around the two of them. They each looked worried sick, eyes wide open with terror, and the redhead could see that Near was clenching on to Mello's hand.

"H-He threatened them!" Matt sobbed, the teachers and adults loosening their grip on him when they realized he wasn't going to struggle any longer. "I-I was only s-stopping him!"

Roger suddenly walked up to the crying Matt, setting a single hand on the tall boy's shoulder.

"Mello, Matt, Near, and Fallon, please make your way down to my office in a timely manner. We will discuss this there. Thank you."

---_A little while later, in Roger's office_---

"Now, Matt, please explain what happened," Roger said, gesturing for Mello and Near to sit down in chairs behind his desk as Matt and Fallon took the chairs in front of him.

Matt recapped the events of the day, starting with when he and Mello were scouring the orphanage for Near, and ending with explaining everything Fallon said in detail. Roger's eyes widened as he began to understand the picture, and the old man stood up furiously when Matt was forced to explain that Near had been raped back towards the beginning of the year.

"Fallon, you and your friends are going to be sent somewhere you might better fit in—a juvenile home. I will have no talking back, I am calling somebody to come remove you this very moment," Roger said, picking up the phone as his voice shook with disgust and horror. "I cannot believe that such injustices have been happening in the very orphanage where children are raised to BE justice."

Matt looked up at Mello and Near with tearstained green eyes, seemingly begging for their forgiveness. They both just gave him wide-eyed looks, Mello managing a small smile through all of the terror that was overcoming his body. It was scary to know that you were in a room with somebody that fantasized about murdering you. However, his look let Matt know that he was not mad at him. The redhead sighed in relief, the next small while seemingly flying by. It seemed like only minutes before the police cars were arriving at the orphanage, men running in through the summer thunderstorm that had formed while this whole incident was occurring. Fallon and his friends were taken away, and the next thing Matt knew, he was lying in an infirmary bed, Near in the bed on his left.

"H-Hey Near…?" he asked, his voice slightly tired and shaky.

"Yes, Matt?"

"Are you…mad at me? You probably think I'm a monster, right?"

"…I do not view Matt as a monster…" Near whispered, turning on his side so he could face Matt. "I thank him…for saving me…as he seemingly always does."

Matt remembered that Mello was not in the room, as he was off talking to the police and Roger, telling his side of the story. The redhead decided that now would be as good a time as ever to put his plan into action, so he shakily stood out of bed, Near giving him a worried look.

"Matt should be careful, he—"

Near was cut off by a deep kiss, the older boy working his mouth against his soft pink lips, pulling away a second later.

"Happy birthday…Near."

* * *

**End Note: **SUPER MATT COMING TO SAVE THE DAYYYYYY! *happy sigh* Doesn't EVERYBODY wish they had an awesome seme like that? BUT AIN'T YOU ALL HAPPY THAT FALLON IS GONE?? I AM. FFFFF. HE SUCKS. D:

~FragilePuzzle


	27. Fall

**A/N: **Hehe, time seems to be flying by so quickly now, for the Wammy boys, at least! It's already fall! (A.K.A. I'm a lazy author and didn't want to write about all the shitt that happened in between recordings, and you want smut, so I'm skipping the useless stuff)

* * *

It seemed as though, the next time the tape turned on, Near was doing perfectly fine…or, as fine as was normal. You could never really tell when somebody rarely expressed emotion. However, it seemed that, with Mello and Matt, Near was finally beginning to act like a normal now-fourteen-year-old-boy.

Apparently, Fallon and Matt had gotten into a fight that ended in Fallon and his friends getting kicked out of the orphanage. Unbeknownst to everybody else in the world, Near was, and had been, raging the biggest internal battle of his life. Both Mello and Matt had kissed him wishing him a happy birthday, and the only two people who knew about it were the givers of said kisses. However, after wishing him happy birthday, they had just gone back to normal. Neither pressured him to pick one over the other, and he was now positive that neither of them knew about the other's kiss.

They were just three close friends again, nothing more and nothing less.

Which…put Near in a bit of a difficult position. However, it was October 13th, and nothing else had happened yet. Now, aside from his raging conflict, Near had been perfectly fine. All of his bruises had healed, and Matt and Mello were all better as well. To celebrate, the three decided to go outside in the crisp fall air, Matt wanting to go play in the leaves like Near remembered he and Mello doing when they were younger.

Near remembered because he had always been watching the two of them, some way or another. Whether it was from behind books or through foggy windows, the two other boys rarely left his sight. He remembered when the three of them had been about seven, and he was in the library, reading some book about the science of the human mind. As he walked past the large glass window in the library, he saw the two of them playing outside, throwing the dry red and brown leaves at each other. He wished more than anything that he could join them, but, he never did. He just sat on the ledge of the window and watched them, pressing his pale forehead to the cold glass.

"Hey Near~!" Matt said happily, setting the camcorder on the edge of one of those same stained glass windows, running back across the yard. "I'll bet you never played outside in the fall, did you?"

Near shook his head, looking at Matt from under his bangs that he had let grow for too long. The redhead tugged on the end of the white scarf that was wrapped loosely around his neck, only to shield his exposed skin from the air that stung his sensitive skin, trying to lead him over to the swings in the corner of the yard. Mello was already sitting on one, pumping his legs so that he might be the highest of all three of them. Suddenly and without warning, Mello let go of the chains that connected the swing to the rusty old bars, jumping off and flying through the crisp air.

Landing in front of the two of them and laughing when he saw the surprised look on Near's face, he tugged on the smaller boy as well, setting him on the middle swing. Conveniently, there were three swings, just enough for the three of them. The blonde hopped back onto his swing, beginning to pump his legs again, Matt walking behind Near and beginning to push him before the small boy had any time to protest.

"C'mon, I won't let you fall," smiled Matt, his hands 'accidentally' pushing Near slightly lower than they probably should have. "If you fall backwards, I promise that I'll catch you!"

Near said nothing, but he clenched the rusty chains tighter, knuckles turning even whiter than they usually were. However, as soon as Matt got him going, Near got the hang of things and began to swing his legs himself.

"There, you're getting it now!" Matt said happily, quickly hopping on to his own swing and beginning to swing as well. "Doesn't it just make you feel like you can fly?"

"I-I suppose!" Near said, swinging almost as high as the two other boys.

Mello got going until his head was level with the top bar, letting go of the chains once again and jumping off as far as he could. He landed almost ten feet away, Matt laughing and jumping off of his swing as well. He only got about eight feet away from his swing, so Mello stuck his tongue out at the redhead and made an "L" on his forehead using his thumb and index finger.

"Hey now, you're a lot smaller than me, Mels~!" he said happily, sticking his tongue out at Mello as well. "So you can go a lot further than me!"

"Are you calling me short?"

"Yupyup!"

"YOU'RE small!"

"And how might you know that, Mels? Been watching me while I was in the shower?"

Even Near let out a small smile as Mello got it, the small boy safe in the air as Mello tackled Matt, both of them beginning to play fight. It was such a nice day…he was thankful for many things as he turned his gray eyes towards the clear blue sky, just wondering where all of the clouds had gone. Of course, he knew the scientific answer, but science was the last thing on his mind at the moment. All he was paying attention to was the feel of the cool air against his skin, the whistling of the wind in his ears, and the feel of the cold metal under his hands.

As Near got higher and higher, he suddenly felt the need to be spontaneous, to do something he had never done before. The feeling was strange; as it was quite foreign, but he decided that he was going to comply with his irrational side for once. Slowly, the small boy let go of the chains on the swing, closing his eyes as he jumped from the swing.

A second later, he was on the ground next to where Mello and Matt were still play fighting, a small cry escaping his lips as his body was jolted from the impact of landing. Both Mello and Matt quickly looked over at him, seeing that his small frame was shaking, both older boys crawling over towards him worriedly.

"Near, what's wrong?" Mello asked, biting his lip as shudders continued to shake Near's frame.

"You shouldn't have jumped, your body is so small, you could have—"

Near raised his eyes from the ground, turning up his face so he could look at the two other boys. There was a cute smile painted on his lips, tiny giggles escaping his throat. Gray eyes were sparkling with life as he laughed some more, confusing both other boys.

"T-that was quite fun…" he said, falling down into the leaves. "A bit painful, but fun nonetheless."

All three boys began to laugh for no reason other than to laugh.

---

The camcorder turned off after the three boys went back inside, turning back on a few seconds later. This time it was Halloween, according to the date in the corner of the screen, and the three boys were in the dark kitchen. It was only lit by a few candles, and L guessed that Roger had tried to get into the mood of things. Strangely enough, the three boys had partly dressed up. Near's head was adorned with a witch's hat, and he was wearing a plain white t-shirt and a pair of black pants that looked a lot like Mello's. Mello had on his normal black outfit with a pair of red devil horns resting on his head, and Matt had on a red shirt and a Mario hat.

"Mwahaha…" Matt laughed, trying to look ominous as he set the camcorder on the counter. "It is…Ha—"

"We know its Halloween," Mello sighed, plopping himself down into a kitchen chair. "I want chocolate, and I want to carve pumpkins."

"Okay, okay…" sighed the redhead, grabbing three pumpkins and setting them down on to the small table that resided in the room. "We'll carve pumpkins, and then you can have all my chocolate that I get, okay?"

Mello nodded happily, grabbing a carving knife and roughly stabbing at the top of the pumpkin, taking the top clean off and beginning to scoop the innards of the vegetable out with his bare hands. He laughed as he let it splat onto the floor, probably not caring how big a mess it made, simply because he didn't have to take care of it.

Near timidly took his carving knife in a pale hand, precisely making a small notch where he wanted to begin to carve. Then he traced a circle, probably measuring the circumference in his mind. Gently beginning to press down, he let the knife slip through the thick outer shell of the pumpkin, slicing a clear and precise line.

Matt just kind of cut it where he thought it might go.

"You know, I don't get what Halloween is ABOUT…" Matt said, beginning to scoop the insides of the pumpkin out with his hands, setting the orange slop onto the table next to him.

"Well, I think that I may—"

Near was cut off by Mello, who threw a particularly big chunk of the pumpkin guts onto the floor, cackling as some splattered on to Near. The small boy only huffed, looking at Mello with that same blank look, going back to scooping the goop out of his pumpkin with a small spoon.

"The ancient Celts believed that on October 31st, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the living and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which the bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks being worn at Halloween goes back to the Celtic traditions of attempting to copy the evil spirits or placate them, in Scotland for instance where the dead were impersonated by young men with masked, veiled or blackened faces, dressed in white," Near said matter-of-factly, still precisely scooping the insides of the pumpkin out.

"You're just like…a walking Wikipedia, aren't you?" Matt asked, smiling up at the smaller boy.

"I suppose that I do carry a lot of knowledge."

"DONE!" Mello cried triumphantly, beginning to carve into the front of his pumpkin.

"Mels, aren't you going to draw what you want to carve before you—"

"Shaddup."

Matt finished a few seconds after Mello did, shrugging before beginning to carve as well. After Near had scraped his pumpkin clean, making sure that there was nothing dirty on the inside OR outside, he began to leave light markings where he knew he wanted to carve something. All three pictures on the pumpkins began to take shape over the next few minutes, each boy drawing something quite predictable. Mello carved a cat, Matt a Halloween scene with a witch and full moon, and Near a Gothic "N," the title that nobody knew he would one day receive.

"Done~!" Mello said happily, showing off his cat.

"Aaaannnndddd…done!" said Matt, grabbing a still-lit candle and putting it inside his pumpkin, lighting up the carving.

"I am done as well," agreed Near, smiling softly as he turned his pumpkin around.

Matt handed them each a candle before smiling brightly at his own pumpkin, nodding and setting it down on the counter. Mello followed, and then Near, the three of them taking a step back and observing their masterpieces. Matt…Near…Mello.

Everything felt right, and Matt couldn't help but notice that Mello didn't even talk about how it was L's birthday, like he did every Halloween. He would lament about how he couldn't see the detective, and wish him a happy birthday, but that had changed.

Then again, Matt had certainly seen a lot of change in the blonde lately…all for the better.

* * *

**End Note: **Hehe, that was just a bit of a cute and carefree chapter! A little bit of insight into what Mello, Matt, and Near do when they're off-camera…^_^ I just wanted to write a Halloween scene. BUT IT HAD A POINT. SRSLY. It's been a while, but remember at the very beginning? How upset Mello was that L didn't come on New Year's eve? Well...he's been busy thinking about Near and Matt instead! XD

~FragilePuzzle


	28. Selfdestruct

**A/N: **Haha, you guys are so demanding…but since you asked for it, it's finally time for some actual ACTION to happen in the story! (Nahh, not cause you asked for it, but because I REALLY want to finish this story now).

* * *

"Mello-Yellowwwwww?" Matt called, the redhead running around the orphanage, camcorder in hand. "Mello-Yellow-Jello-who-plays-a-cellooooo?"

There was no response from the blonde, but Matt was lucky enough to catch sight of Near through a frosted window as he walked down the corridor—the small ball of white that was Near blended in with the white snow that layered the ground outside. So, the redhead decided that there was no harm in going outside to ask if Near had seen Mello or not…it was the blonde's birthday, after all. They hadn't documented in so long, and the camcorder had pretty much been abandoned and dusty on the shelf on Matt's side of the bedroom, but since today was a special occasion, Matt had decided that he would pull it out for old time's sake.

Matt opened the back door of the orphanage, the one that lead to the usually green-and-grassy backyard of the institution, just standing in the doorway as his eyes scanned the yard. Near was standing in the middle of the yard, his back towards Matt and his head to the sky. Small puffs of what looked like smoke—Matt couldn't remember the exact word—were slipping past his lips with each breath he took, and snowflakes just as white and delicate as he appeared to be were decorating his baggy pajamas.

"Hey Near!" the redhead yelled, his voice being swallowed up by the dampening snow. "Near, get inside, you're gonna get pneumonia!"

The small boy turned around, his lips now as pale and white as his skin, the only color on him being a black scarf, red cheeks, and black eyes surrounded by gorgeous lashes that the flamboyantly gay guy in Matt had always secretly been jealous of.

"Matt," he said softly, not making any attempt to move.

"Near, you gotta get inside!" he demanded, eyes traveling over the small boy's shaking frame. "Besides, it's Mello's birthday, he wants to see you!"

It was only then that Matt realized how long Near had been standing outside—there were no footsteps in the untarnished snow that surrounded the small boy, no prints anywhere in the yard. The snow was falling, sure, but the gently falling flakes would take HOURS to fill in any holes that were made from big, heavy boots. However, Matt doubted that Near was wearing big heavy boots. In fact, it was doubtful if he was wearing any shoes at all, which just made the redhead more desperate to get him inside.

"Near, how long have you been standing out here?" he asked, eyes affixed on to the small boy in the yard. "You could have serious frostbite; you need to take a warm bath before your ear falls off, or something!"

Near made no move to actually, well, MOVE, he only stood and continued to stare at Matt, as if he was contemplating something much beyond Matt's comprehension. However, the redhead would not take 'no' for an answer, and Near not moving was a big enough 'no' for him.

So, Matt set the camcorder down inside of the orphanage and ran back out, leaving the taskforce to wonder what the redhead was going to do to get Near to come inside. They found out a moment later when he came back inside, Near being carried bridal-style in his arms, reminding L of how Mello had carried the small boy at the beginning of the tapes…that day, this camcorder, they were what started this relationship. It was amazing what small things could bring the supposed 'greatest rivals of all time' together…so closely, and so intimately.

"Near, you doofus, can you even feel where I'm holding you?" Matt asked, squeezing Near's arms tightly as he set the small boy into a nearby reading chair. "Why the hell were you outside dressed in your PAJAMAS of all things—no, wait, why were you outside for so long at ALL? I swear to god, you and Mello are going to be the death of me, making me worry about you two CONSTANTLY, I haven't even SEEN Mello today!"

Near smiled a little bit, looking up at the redhead as he attempted to bend his spidery fingers. Near knew that Matt was exactly like the parent every child desired—kind, caring, worried, and willing to do anything it took to make you happy. Then it hit Near, and he mentally slapped himself for not seeing this sooner. Matt…Matt must have held some sort of affection towards him, right? He had taken care of him in every way, befriended him when nobody else would…and he…had kissed him. Like, not a 'oh-I'm-just-so-happy-and-of-French-descent-so-I-feel-the-need-to-kiss-you-to-express-my-joy' kind of kiss either…

It had been a full-on kiss, the kind that was usually shared between…lovers. Matt had kissed him like a lover, and—

So had Mello.

Near's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the redhead once again, who was now throwing every single thing in the room that could possibly pass for some sort of blanket over his no-longer-cold body, still fussing over him. Both boys…had kissed him like that, and it just now hit him that perhaps, just perhaps, they meant it.

But what was he supposed to do now? He loved them both, he could never choose one, and he WOULD never choose one.

That left him one choice, the very choice that seemed to suit his personality best—he was going to sit and wait for one of them to make the first move. As usual, his lack of initiative was rearing its head…but this way, he would not make a fool of himself. After all, he could be over-reading things, or under-analyzing them. It had happened on rare occasions before, and there was an extremely high chance it could happen with something THIS important. If he were to accidentally confess, when neither of them really liked him it would ruin everything he had worked so hard for.

So Near was forced into a choice. He was going to wait for either Mello or Matt to confess to him, or just wait until he was positive it was a mistake, and that he could honestly believe that he had completely botched his scrutiny. Whichever came first.

"Mello's birthday is today, am I correct? December thirteenth?" Near suddenly asked, Matt having just come back into the room with a mug of hot chocolate.

"Mhm, I was looking for you so I could ask if you'd seen him today, because I haven't, not all day, he wasn't even in the bedroom when I woke up—"

Matt was interrupted as Mello walked into the room, obviously acting as though this was the most important day in the world. Not to Matt or Near's knowledge, of course, but he had straightened his hair and febreeze-ed his clothes, and he was even wearing chapstick (which, for the record, he thought was gross and really girly, but it was supposed to make your lips look nicer…at least, that's what he had heard). Despite what Matt and Near first thought, Mello wasn't dressed like this because it was his birthday, oh no.

He was dressed like this because L had promised to come to his birthday this year. The raven-haired detective said, that if Mello got A's all year, and didn't get into any serious trouble, that he would come visit the orphanage on his birthday. Mello had worked so hard, all year for this, restraining himself from beating up any kid that pissed him off…as he usually did, and he had spent many long nights studying away to get an A on that test.

And boy, was he ever ready.

But boy, L definitely wasn't. As soon as he saw Mello's excited face, and the way he practically seemed to skip over to Near to steal the boy's hot chocolate, and even the way his hair was so much shinier and straighter than usual, the detective knew that he wasn't going to be able to handle watching how he took it when he didn't show up.

This was…what, a few weeks ago? Well, L definitely hadn't been expecting the Kira case to pop up. Given, it had been less than twenty-four hours since the task force had started watching the tapes, he had to remember, the Kira case was still going on. He couldn't be blamed. The Kira case is more important than Mello's birthday…it is like when a father misses his child's birthday because of work. It is not the father to be blamed, but it is the child that is being unreasonable when they are mad at their father for missing their special birthday party…right?

L had to continually reassure himself that nine days ago, on Mello's exact birthday that was about to be recorded, he had been busy. Kira came before Mello…Kira was important, Kira could equal the end of society as we know it. Kira, Kira, Kira.

The detective watched as the screen turned black, turning on a few seconds later. It was in a dark room, nobody behind the camcorder, but Mello on front of it. The now-fifteen-year-old boy was sitting on his bed, and he had rested the camcorder on a shelf near the end, full ready to record himself. Tears were falling down his face as his body shook with repressed sobs, and he pulled his knees to his chest as he began to talk. It seemed as if he was more upset and hurt than angry, and you could hear pounding on the door in the background, which L guessed was probably Matt, Near, or both.

"L, I know you're not going to see this…even if you found it, you probably wouldn't bother watching it, anyways…" hiccupped the blonde, blue eyes seemingly having a hard time making contact with the camcorder. "B-But…I mean, it was hard for me…a-all year, I worked extra hard, so that you would come and see me…but y-you didn't…"

Well, this was certainly a new side of Mello…usually the blonde would have NEVER cried, and if he did, he wouldn't RECORD it of all things.

"B-but you know what? I've realized something. You…L, you've promised to c-come visit us a bunch of times, and I haven't seen you in YEARS—"

Mello was interrupted by Matt finally getting the door open. Near was not there with him, surprisingly, so the redhead saw him crying and immediately went into 'mommy mode.' He shut and locked the door behind him as he walked into the room, immediately making his way over to Mello's bed and sitting down on it next to him. It almost looked as though he hesitated for a moment before he pulled the blonde back into his arms, knowing how much L coming to see him meant to Mello, and how upset he must be about the whole thing.

"Don't…cry…" Matt tried, wiping the tears off of his friend's face.

"He promised!" Mello tried one last time, letting out a fresh wave of hiccups and sobs. "He promised, he promised, he PROMISED me that this year, he would make it for sure—"

Matt decided that he could always say he just wanted to shut him up, and he really did hate to see Mello cry… so the redhead pushed Mello back onto the bed and pressed their lips together, not really making a move to straddle the blonde until he knew how he would react. However, when the blonde wrapped his arms around Matt's neck and began to hungrily kiss back, the redhead took that as a good sign and began to kiss Mello deeper, teasing the blonde's lips open with his tongue as he slipped a hand underneath the black material of his shirt.

"M-Matt…?" Mello whimpered, his voice questioning, yet urging Matt to continue as well.

The redhead didn't say anything—he wouldn't know what he would have said if he had the chance, but he didn't, as Mello grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled their lips together again. The next forty or fifty seconds were very awkward for the task force…they felt like voyeurs.

However, L didn't stop watching—not because he was a voyeur, not because of that at all, but because he was wondering something. If this had happened all of nine days ago…then what would things be like NOW? Gray eyes widened slightly as the detective watched Matt pull away from the kiss, looking at Mello before running off, shutting the door behind him. Now Mello was stunned, alone, and extremely, _extremely _confused.

To add to that confusion, not thirty seconds later, there was another knock on the door. Mello managed a weak 'come in,' seeing Near open the door and gently shut and lock it behind him. Sock feet slowly and nervously made their way across the room, large gray eyes affixed to the floor as he sat down next to Mello on the blonde's twin bed.

"Does Mello wish to talk about something?" Near asked, taking a deep and steadying breath before leaning over and giving Mello a slightly awkward hug.

This caused the blonde to begin to laugh. At first, it was just a small chuckle, but the more he thought about it, the funnier it got. Here was Near—who, a year ago, was his biggest rival, giving him a hug and asking him if he wanted to talk. To Mello, it was too funny for words, so as he leaned over to press his forehead to Near's, all he could do was continue to laugh.

"You're a twerp, you know that?" Mello asked, calming his laughter as he connected his eyes with Near.

"What is Mello talking about?" asked Near, furrowing his brown slightly as he looked at the blonde. "I only came to Mello's room to wish Mello a happy birthday…"

Mello only laughed a slightly sad laugh as he tilted his head and pressed a kiss to Near's lips, not really caring any more. He was such a goddamn self-destructive person, he didn't even stop to think that all of this was recording, and that maybe Matt would check over it when he was sleeping later that night, because the redhead was worried about what Mello did after he left. He didn't even bother to consider the possibility that Near had heard when he was making out with Matt, because MAYBE he was outside of the blonde's room to wish him a happy birthday, and that the small boy barely managed to make it out of Matt's sight as the redhead ran out of the room.

It didn't even cross his mind.

* * *

**End Note: **HOLY SHIT, AMIRITE? YOU KNOW YOU WANNA REVIEW, CAUSE THE STORY'S ALMOST OVERRRRR. AND YAS, I DO KNOW THAT THE TIMELINE IS COMPLETELY FUCKED UP AND NOT CANON AT ALL.

CANON SUCKSSSSSS. : P

~FragilePuzzle


	29. Whore

**A/N: **HOLY FUCKING SHIT OH MY GOD JESUS CHRIST. *panic attack* OVER 400 REVIEWS???? Thank you guys SO, SO much for reading and reviewing and favoriting and ALL THAT GREAT STUFF. Ya know I love you for it, right? Because I do, I really do. As for the story, we're catching up quickly here. The recording in this chapter was made exactly eight days before the present date (or, for L and the task force).

* * *

Tension.

You could practically feel it in the air…it was terrible. When the videocamera turned on, the three boys were in the kitchen, cups of steaming hot chocolate sitting untouched in front of each of them. Marshmallows were melting and eyes refused to make contact—in truth, Matt didn't even know why he turned the camcorder on. He supposed that it brought a strange sense of familiarity and security. All he could do was remember all of the times they held before, all of the fun they had. But now all he could think about was Mello and Near. He wondered what was going to happen to them, who was going to chose who, who was going to make the first move on somebody.

The wait was driving Mello crazy. He wished he could just confess to loving them both, but he knew that he should separate himself for now. That was what he knew would be best, but here he was, drinking hot chocolate with them and pretending everything was all right after yesterday. Fucking driving him crazy. I'd be one thing if he hadn't made out with Matt yesterday, and then kissed Near right afterwards—he already felt shitty enough for THAT, thankyouverymuch. Near had come to wish him a happy birthday. Ffff. Some happy birthday it was.

Near sat there unemotionally, thinking that those kisses the two other boys had given him must have been out of pity. He had heard of it before…pity love, pity sex; Near was betting that the two boys just felt sorry for him because he was a friendless outcast before he had met them. Well, maybe being a friendless outcast and all alone would have been better than this. He knew he was human now…he had done exactly what he had sworn to himself he was going to do. He was going to make himself fall in love with Mello and Matt only to get rejected and ignored…but…he hadn't known that it would hurt _so damn much._ It hurt more than any cut that the switchblade could have made, no matter how deep or harsh.

Love is a terrible thing.

Matt forced a smile on to his face as he looked at the two of them, nodding happily as he looked outside and stood up. He wanted to go outside, to feel the cold of the snow for himself. It just seemed so appealing, so without even saying anything, he walked out of the kitchen and into the back entryway. Mello and Near were left to stare at his retreating figure blankly, taking one look at each other before getting up and walking away, Mello just flipping the camcorder off with a brush of his hand…not even bothering to put it away, just leaving it sitting there along with the abandoned cups of hot chocolate.

---_Off-camera, Wammy's, eight days before the present_---

Matt put on a scarf and pulled on his tennis shoes before he walked into the backyard, standing in the snow and observing its beauty. Nobody else had come outside this morning, so it seemed so pure and untouched. It was gorgeous. As his green eyes traced the yard, they flickered to the window of the library, only to see Near staring out of it. He weakly raised a hand, deciding it was probably for the best if he went inside—the small boy looked as if he was all alone, and possibly on the verge of tears.

Matt made his way back inside, shaking the snow out of his hair before taking his shoes off and making his way back to the library. Cold and red fingers wrapped around the large gold doorhandles, pulling the large wooden doors open, seeing Near still standing over by that one window.

"Hey, Near," he said softly, shutting the door behind them as he realized that they were all alone. "Why are you in here all alone?"

"I suppose that there is no particular reason, but why does Matt care?" Near asked, voice soft and quavering as he turned around to look at the redhead with watering eyes, exposed in his greatest moment of weakness.

"Near, I-I care about you, that's why…"

"There is no need to _lie_, now is there?"

Matt made his way across the room, noticing how Near's voice had grown cold. He couldn't stand it, not anymore. However, instead of backing away, like Matt expected him to, Near actually walked forward a few steps to meet him in the middle of the large room.

"I'm not lying, stupid."

Matt gently grabbed on to Near's hand, pulling him forward slightly and pressing their lips together. Near made a small noise of surprise, but there was no move of protest to go along with it. Ever-so-slowly, pale lips opened slightly, allowing Matt to slip his tongue into a warm mouth, feeling as Near wrapped his arms around his stripe-covered torso. The redhead could feel the smaller boy whimper into his mouth as he traced the tip of his tongue along the roof of Near's mouth, feeling as he clumsily tried to touch his own tongue to Matt's.

However, the two were interrupted by a loud shattering noise. Near quickly broke away and turned around, seeing that the window he was just standing by was shattered, glass lying all over the floor—as well as a rock in the middle of the broken pieces. Gray and green followed the path of destruction, looking out into the yard to see an angry blonde, tears streaming down his face as he began to run towards the side yard.

"Mello!" Matt cried, running out of the library to go see where his friend was going to.

Near was left all alone in the middle of the library, cold air flowing steadily through the newfound hole in the window. He shivered, not from the cold, but from the realization that Mello would always be first to Matt—the events that had just happened proved that. Matt had gone after Mello without a second thought, and he was left all alone. This was one thing he would never be first at…he could never be first to either of them.

The small boy sunk down to his knees, legs not being able to hold him anymore…he was sick of this, all of it. He was going to distance himself, he wanted to stop all of this, and stop it now. Where was his sweet escape?

~-~-~

"Mels!" Matt cried, the older boy with longer legs having caught up with Mello. "Mels, what's—"

"Don't TOUCH me!" the blonde yelled, yanking his arm out of Matt's grip. "Why don't you just go back to NEAR?? It seemed like the two of you were pretty CHUMMY back there, weren't you?"

Matt gently grabbed on to Mello's chin, tilting it up towards him and seeing his best friend's tear-stained face. Blue eyes looked even bluer against the bright red of the swollen blood vessels, but Matt could do nothing but stare as Mello looked right back at him, unwavering with his gaze as hiccups continued to interrupt his breathing.

"Do you…hate Near, Mello?" Matt asked slowly, watching as the blonde continued to sniffle.

"No," he said firmly, the next words out of his lips cutting Matt deeper than any dagger could. "I'm mad at YOU, stupid whore."

With that, the blonde stormed off into the orphanage, leaving Matt cold and alone in the snow.

~-~-~

"Near," the blonde hissed dangerously, sadistic smile on his face as he gently pushed open the door to the library. "Are you still in here?"

"Is there something Mello needs?" asked Near, voice still soft and slightly shocked as he turned around to face Mello.

Mello didn't answer, but he strode across the library, smirk growing wider as he beckoned Near closer to him. The small boy was hesitant, growing even more so as he noticed that Mello had locked the door, but he followed the blonde behind the nearby bookshelf anyways. However, as Mello pushed him up against the wall and slipped a hand up his baggy shirt, he began to struggle.

"Stop struggling, I know you want this…" he said, not realizing how much rage and betrayal was clouding his judgment. "So stop fucking struggling."

"M-Mello—!"

Near was interrupted as Mello pressed a violent kiss to his lips, pulling his shirt open without bothering to unbutton it first, causing buttons to pop off left and right, each one hitting the wooden floor with a small thud. He slapped a hand over Near's mouth as he brought his lips down to the smaller boy's neck, beginning to suck harshly, as if trying to remind Near who was in charge here. Near only whimpered weakly, trying to struggle away, he couldn't deal with this right now, he just couldn't—

"Mm, Near, you taste so sweet," whispered Mello, gently pushing Near on to the cold and hard floor. "You're such a tease…how long's it been since we were on the roof? Almost a year, hasn't it? When you pulled me aside and said that you actually _hated arguing with me_?"

"M-M—!"

Near's eyes opened wide as Mello slipped a hand down his pants, blue eyes widening as he found no underwear to be present. It didn't surprise him much, considering how Near thought differently from other people, and it only made it easier to access the small boy's most sensitive regions. The blonde's hand quickly found the other boy's cock; beginning to stroke him softly as he kept a hand clamped over his mouth, making sure that Near couldn't make a noise that was too loud. Mello watched, satisfied as Near's hands clenched into fists, fingernails dragging along the slick and recently-polished floor in a desperate attempt to grab on to something, his toes curling as a flush spread itself over his pale face.

"I'll bet you weren't expecting to cum like THIS, were you, Near?" Mello whispered, observing the boy's tightly closed eyes. "Could Matt make you cum like this? Would he make you dirty, push you down on the floor of the _library_ and play with you? You're just so NAUGHTY, aren't you?"

Near made no noise besides muffled moans and whimpers, mewls not escaping his throat as Mello continued to lightly stroke his now-erect shaft, the blonde still grinning a Glasgow smile as Near bucked and squirmed beneath him. God, if only he had done this _sooner_, he could have had so much more power over Near.

"Do you like this? Answer me," Mello whispered, voice demanding.

"M-Mello a-asks f-foolish questi-ions…" Near whimpered, hips still rolling with Mello's hand, no matter how much the smaller boy tried to resist.

"Foolish?" the blonde echoed, giving Near's erection a particularly hard squeeze as he elicited a stifled moan. "I'm foolish, Near? Are you finally done playing your games? Or is this just one of your mindfucks? Have you been sleeping with Matty?"

Near shook his head desperately, though Mello wasn't sure which question he was answering, or whether it was even one of those questions at all. God, he didn't even know if the small boy could think now, because if he could think as straight as he usually did, would he really keep himself in this situation?

The blonde hadn't even noticed as Near's moans got louder and louder, and his small cock was hot and throbbing in Mello's hands, and without warning, a loud cry slipped past his pale lips and he came into Mello's hand. Hot, sticky, white liquid stained the inside of his pants, as well as the blonde's hand. However, instead of wiping it off somewhere, Mello held his hand up to Near's lips, expecting the small boy to suck it off.

Near hesitated for a moment, but seeing the look in Mello's eyes, he complied, mind still hazy with confusion as he wondered what was happening. Mello had made him cum…why? The analytical part of his mind just couldn't seem to process any of what was going on, not at all, he couldn't understand a bit of it.

"You and Matt are such whores," Mello hissed, standing up after pushing Near back down on to the floor. "You fucking deserve each other."

With that, Mello walked out of the library, hand still glistening with Near's saliva as he left the small boy confused and alone on the hardwood floor of the musty-smelling library.

* * *

**End Note/ Promises and Apology: **Hurhur…only a few chapters left, but don't worry. There will DEFINITELY be lemon, so NEVER FEAR. And yes, very short and crappy and confusing chapter. ENOJY THE DAMN SMUT. FFFFFF.

AND I THINK MELLO FLIPPED A BITCH, BECAUSE HE SEEMS VERY TOUCHY.

~FragilePuzzle


	30. Surprise

**A/N: **Haaa…this chapter took me a long time because it was so long. ANYWAI. I SEES THAT MELS HAS SUM HATARS. LOVE THE BLONDE-HAIRED BASTARD. LOVE HIM. I mean, if you saw the two people YOU loved most, making out? I mean, they're all he has…and they kissed without even thinking of him, even after all he's done for them. THINK OF THAT WHEN YOU START TO HATE HIM. FEEL PITY.

* * *

When the camera turned off in the kitchen, Mello, Near, and Matt just walking away and forgetting all about their cups of hot chocolate, the tape went black—and did not start up again. L turned to put the next tape in, but he discovered that the box with unwatched tapes was empty; the escapade was over. The detective turned to look at Watari, eyes wide as he tried to process everything that was happening. Slowly, he stood up, rattling the chains that attached his wrist to Light's, and everybody in the room could practically _see_ the wheels in his brain turning.

"Watari?" L asked, nibbling on his thumb as he turned to the old man. "How many days is it until Christmas?"

"It would be two days until Christmas day" the older man replied, nodding seriously. "Is there a certain reason you were wondering?"

"Please have Mello, Near, and Matt flown here, to the Japanese Task Force headquarters as soon as possible," L said, tugging on the chain that connected him to the brunette. "Light, I will need you to escort me to go Christmas shopping, of course. And Matsuda, would you please go with Ide and Aizawa to pick out a Christmas tree? Watari and Mogi are in charge of decorations, please make this place look homey and livable. Anything suitable for children."

With that, the enigmatic detective walked out of the room, a tousled-and-confused-looking Light following close behind him. It was time for a trip to Toys-R-Us—a.k.a. 'Hell on earth' for parents around Christmastime. Oh boy, this was going to be fun indeed.

---_Later, after L made Light drive him to Toys-R-Us_---

Light was humiliated.

No, humiliated was an understatement.

He had never been more mortified in his entire life.

He was shopping at Toys-R-Us with a pedophile look-alike chained to him at the wrist—literally. The couple of them both had severe bags under their eyes, and severe for L was a sight indeed. He looked like a wannabe emo kid that had put on a bit too much eyeshadow. It was bad enough that Light had to be chained to this doofus in public, but to make it worse? L insisted that Light push the heavy cart that held the various assortments of toys, because he wouldn't STAND for touching the germ-infested handle. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't stacked full of every toy imaginable, and the large stack was threatening to topple over and crush him while he swerved and weaved his way through other last-minute Christmas shoppers.

"God, you are _insane_," Light hissed, rolling his eyes as L grabbed a set of rubber duckies, earning a disapproving look from a nearby mother. "Please, Miss, he has children he—"

"Kids these days, so irresponsible," chastised the woman, grabbing her son's hand as L began to stare blatantly at him. "Knocked up his girlfriend, huh?"

Before either of them had a chance to respond, the lady was walking away, her son waving happily at L—who waved back, eerie excuse for a smile on his face as he only increased his newfound reputation as a pedophile.

"Mommy? Why are those two big men wearing handcuffs?" a small girl asked, stopping her mom to blatantly point and stare at the two of them. "Isn't it only when you're a BAD GUY that you wear handcuffs, because then the policeman has to lock you up and the bad guys get punished?"

"Yes, yes sweetie, but some people don't think the same as we do—you shouldn't point and stare at them, it's not nice to point at crazies," the mom said, picking up her small girl and walking off.

"O-tayyyyy…" she said happily. "Mommy, what are crazies?"

Light watched as the two of them walked away, throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation. God, how he hated being chained to L.

---_Later, after much toy-hassling and long checkout lines_---

As soon as L and Light arrived back from the toy store, they were shocked to see the headquarters. Within the few hours they were gone, the task force was able to have made the place completely Christmas-themed—a tree with boxes of decorations at the base of it, tinsel draped over every possible surface, and mistletoe hidden among holly resting over every door.

"Well, well," L mumbled, gesturing for Watari to help them carry the many gifts in. "I see that you have done quite a good job with decorating headquarters."

"Matsuda," everybody said in unison, looking over at the sheepishly blushing young man.

"Well, erm, you see, there was no limit on the money we could spend, and I wanted to make the place look nice, you know?" he coughed, rubbing the back of his head. "S-so I guess I might have gone just a little overboard, and I'm sorry for spending all this money, and—"

"No, it is very nice…thank you, Matsuda. You did quite a good job."

Matsuda's eyes widened as he received the compliment from the raven-haired detective, realizing that, for once, he had done something right. HE had done something right. The younger man blushed and smiled, nodding frantically as he bowed a bit in thanks.

"I-It was no problem at all!"

"Watari, would you please establish a connection to Wammy's house?" L asked, sitting himself down in front of his laptop, hunched over with his toes curling around the edge of his rolling chair. "Immediately, thank you."

"Of course," he said, keying in a few things on the laptop.

Suddenly, a large, gothic 'R' popped up, the black of the letter contrasting greatly against the florescent white of the screen. L cleared his throat before flipping on the voice distorter, beginning to speak as his eyes remained focused on nothing in particular.

"Hello, Roger, this is L."

"L, how long has it been? I haven't heard from you since—"

"I realize that. Now, Roger, I require that Mello, Near, and Matt all be sent to Japan immediately. Please tell them to pack their things; a personal jet will arrive at the landing strip near Wammy's quite shortly—I have contacted the pilot, and the plane was grounded in England to begin with. Tell them they will not need many things, we can always buy more here. But it is required that they are here before Christmas Eve day, which is tomorrow."

"L, is something—"

"Please do not question me, Roger. I need their assistance on a case."

"Very well…I will tell them to pack immediately."

"Hey Roger, who're you talking to?"

L recognized the voice of Matt, the always-bubbly redhead's voice seeming gloomy and desolate. He wondered what had happened—well, no, that was quite a stupid question. So many things had happened to those children over the past year of their lives, and L was surprised that they hadn't pulled a B and went insane.

"Please tell him that it is of no importance, I do not want any of the other children—"

"L?!"

Aw shit.

"Matt, please go pack a bag full of things that can hold you over for a few days," Roger said, the sound of a chair scraping across the floor echoing through the computer speakers as the old man stood up to shoo the boy out of his room. "Tell Mello and Near that they need to do this as well, a limo will be here to pick the three of you up momentarily."

"Private jet? Why?"

"Please, now is not the time to talk, just go tell the other two boys to pack as well."

"But Roger, it's almost dinner, and I'm not sure where Mello and Near are," said Matt, voice falling even further as he said the two other boy's names. "I don't—"

"Matt, of course you know where they are, you three have been so joined at the hip—or should I say 'hips' over these past few months. I'm sure you can find them, and I know that food will be provided for you on the plane. Now, please go get them and bring them to my office after they've packed."

"Yes sir…" Matt said obediently, the sound of footsteps walking out of the room the only sound that could be heard.

"Well, L, I think that the boys should be there soon enough, probably arriving later tonight. Will that be all?" Roger asked, sitting back down in his chair.

"Yes, that is all. Thank you, Roger. Make sure that they do not leave the pilot waiting very long."

"Of course."

With that, L flicked the monitor off; going to make sure everything was perfect for the arrival of the children. However, as he walked out to the kitchen, Light in tow, Matsuda called out his name and the detective turned around and stopped…right under the mistletoe that was cleverly concealed. Light, who hadn't really been paying attention and more so to the floor than anything else; continued walking and crashed into the back of L.

"Ryuzaki, why did you stop n—"

"You two are under the mistletoe!" Matsuda said, pointing up at the small plant above their heads. "Under the mistletoe, under the mistletoe, under the mistletoe!"

"Mistletoes don't work until C-Christmas," stuttered Light, a slight blush dusting his face as his innocent brown eyes widened.

"Well, Light, you and I have never been real people of tradition, now have we?"

With that said, L stood up out of his slouch, turning out to be taller than Light, and kissed the flushed brunette smack on the lips. With that, he hunched back down, becoming a few inches shorter that Light once again, and led the two of them out to the kitchen.

"Wasn't that cuteeeee??" Matsuda asked, letting out a small squeal as he looked at everybody in turn. "…c'mon, you know they totally like each other! Why else would L have Misa-Misa in a separate room, and Light chained to him?"

Matsuda did have a good point.

---_Back At Wammy's_---

"Mello?" Matt asked, walking into the bedroom to see his angry-looking blonde friend sitting on his bed. "Hey, we're going to Japan, and you gotta get packed…"

"What the hell kind of bullshit are you feeding me now?" asked Mello, snapping a bite off of his chocolate bar as he made no attempt to move. "How fucking stupid do you think I am, why the fuck would we be going to Japan?

Matt flinched as he noticed how Mello's swearing had gotten gradually worse over the past couple days, the blonde managing to fit at least two vulgar words into every sentence. Great. Near, on the other hand, had gone back to being an emotionless little robot, and had not spoken a word the last few days—not a single _word _to _anybody_. Matt was the girliest of the three, actually crying instead of becoming angry with either of them…hell, he didn't even think that he could bring himself to be angry with them.

"L needs our help on a case or something, so we have to go to Japan tonight. The jet'll be here any minute, and after you pack, you need to go to Roger's office. If you don't believe me, just ask him," said Matt, now turning to leave the room.

"Whatever," the blonde shrugged, standing up abruptly. "Who's all going?"

"You, me, and Near," he said, awaiting for the blonde to explode.

"…the fuck? You know what? What-the-fuck-ever. I'm damn fine with that. I fucking hate you both, and it's not like I'm gonna have anything better to do in this goddamn shithole."

Matt's eyes stung with the beginnings of tears as Mello's words cut him deeper than the blonde would ever know, because right now, in Mello's mind? He really did hate them, and Matt knew him so well, he could tell that just by the tone of his voice. Right now, Mello hated him. His best friend since he was three hated him.

"If we're in such a big hurry, why don't _you_ go fucking pack, dumbass?" he asked Matt, walking over to his dresser and pulling out a duffel bag. "Jesus Christ, no wonder you're fucking third."

"Mello, you don't have to be such a fucking bastard _all of the time_!" Matt said angrily, tears stinging his eyes as he walked out of the room before he even had a chance to see the hurt expression on Mello's face.

The blonde watched him leave, making no move to stop him as Matt's words rang out in his head. He was a fucking bastard, and he knew it. But that was the ONLY time, EVER that Matt had spoken a swear word to him. It was only the second time the redhead had ever spoken out against him either, the first being when he was yelling at Near not to cry. And he had just called him a fucking bastard. The thought barely processed in Mello's head.

He had always abused Matt, taken the redhead for granted, and he knew that. However…he had only done it because Matt had always put up with it. He'd always let Mello take out his anger on him, to release any frustration by calling him names, and occasionally even hitting him. Holy fuck. Matt had managed to stay friends with him for this long despite all of that? And Mello had only NOW noticed what a fucking bastard he really was?

"Shit," he spat, throwing more clothes and chocolate into his bag. "Fucking shit."

---_With Matt, back at Wammy's_---

"Hey Near?" Matt asked, walking into the playroom to see a stoic and silent Near, sitting all alone over in the corner, working on a blank puzzle with a gothic 'L' in the corner. "Um, you gotta go pack and then go to Roger's office."

When Near didn't do so much as look up, and the only move he appeared to want to make was the moving of his hand to the pile of puzzle pieces lying next to him, Matt decided that he should probably explain more.

"We have to go to Japan and help L on a case…he said he needs us there as soon as possible, and we're gonna have a private jet pick us up—it'll be here any minute. It's me, you, and Mello that are going…but you have to pack and stuff."

Near nodded softly, eyes staying averted to the floor as he finished his puzzle and stood up. One pale hand entwined itself in white locks as the other gripped the puzzle board tightly, and his large gray eyes did not leave the floor as he shuffled past Matt silently.

"Near, did something happen?" Matt asked suddenly, voice echoing slightly in the empty playroom.

The small boy just ignored him and walked out of the room, going towards his bedroom to pack all that he would need. It was ridiculous…L wouldn't need their help on a case, there had to be some other reason. But what…? Even Near's genius mind could not process it as he neatly placed perfectly folded clothes into a suitcase. Five pairs of pajamas, five pairs of socks, five pairs of white underwear, a small white blanket, the pink stuffed bunny that he was not ashamed to be sleeping with at fourteen, as well as a few puzzles and action figures. Not dolls, but action figures. Of course.

Near walked to Roger's office to see that Mello was already there, the blonde sitting huffily in a chair in the corner. Near made no eye contact as he sat across the room from the other boy, noticing that he had rested his duffel bag in front of his body—according to the psychology books he had been reading lately, what with so much free time on his hands now that he had absolutely nobody to talk to; shielding your torso is a defense mechanism. It is something the brain does when it is feeling insecure or unsafe, it attempts to shield itself. Near knew Mello couldn't be feeling physically threatened, there was nobody in the room with any intention of violence, so it must be that he was feeling emotionally threatened—but by what, was the real question.

However, Near made no move to speak as he continued his psychoanalysis on Mello. He was interrupted before he was eighty-nine percent done when Matt walked into the room; bright red backpack slung over one arm. It seemed as if their methods of carrying their things represented how they felt at the moment, or maybe it was Near over-analyzing things, but what else could he do? Nobody was going to talk, so he had nothing better to do that let their actions speak for them.

Near had packed his things neatly into a suitcase that managed to be both clean, precise, and unemotional on the inside and out. Mello on the other hand, was the polar opposite of him, as usual. He had tossed his things willy-nilly into a wrinkled and smashed duffel bag, chaos radiating from every aspect of it. And Matt…? Well, Matt had chosen a backpack. It looked relatively neat enough on the outside; spare the occasional wrinkle here and there, but on the inside? Near could tell, from just by the way that it was resting on the redhead's back, that Matt had not bothered to put anything in neatly. It only appeared that way on the outside, and you could only see what a mess it was if you looked _very_ close.

"I take it the three of you are ready to go?"

All Roger received in response were three brief nods, tension crackling in the air like a bad thunderstorm.

"Very well then, the jet is waiting outside for the three of you, I take it I do not have to accompany you?"

This time, the old man received three quick shakes of the head, signaling that 'no he did not have to ride with them and make everything worse that it already was,' thankyouverymuch.

"Very well, please go board the plane. I will see you when you get back."

Trudging out of the building desolately, the three boys saw a large limo resting in the driveway of the orphanage. They went inside, and the chauffer silently drove them less than a mile, out to an old runway where a jet was waiting. Apparently, he was some sort of FBI agent, and he made them wait in the car while he checked the circumference of the area for assassins. ASSASSINS. Who the hell would want to assassinate a bunch of little kids?

After he assured them the area was clear, he led them down the runway and gestured for them to board the small private jet, all three boys making their way on the jet and into highly-cushioned seats. Within seconds, they were fastened into their seats, and the pilot was preparing for takeoff.

Over the next few hours, or however long it took to get from England to Japan, even Near lost track of time with no clocks anywhere; there was silence. Dead. Silence. For all of that time, not a single word was spoken; spare those first few words from the pilot. Hell, the only sounds were the snapping of Mello's chocolate bar, the slight clicking of the buttons Matt's videogames, and the small noise that resulted in Near ticking his puzzle pieces into place.

"We'll be landing soon," the pilot said, Near and Matt both half-asleep as Mello continued to stare angrily at nothing. "So please make sure your seatbelts are fastened."

The next half-an-hour went by just as boring as the rest of the trip, Mello, Near, and Matt unloading their things in silence and being driven in yet another limo to the Japanese Task Force headquarters. As the limo pulled up to outside the building, the three boys saw a few men standing outside—a tall one, one with an afro, a very bored-looking one, and one that looked like he had a BIT too much caffeine that day.

"Mello, Near, and Matt!" the hyper one said, pointing at each of them in turn. "You guys can come in now, and welcome to the Japanese Task Force headquarters!"

"Whatever," three voices rang out in unison, the first word they had spoken in a long time.

It was then that the taskforce realized that, though they were geniuses, teenagers were teenagers. And they were going to have to take care of them and keep them distracted and busy until L and Light got all of the presents wrapped. All two-hundred-and-forty-one of them.

* * *

**End Note: **D'aww…L's not a douche after all! FAMILEH CHRISTMAS TIEM COMIN UP. YAS, YAS.

~FragilePuzzle


	31. Christmas

**A/N: **WHY HAI THAR. Sorry for keeping you guys waiting for so long, I've been uber-busy lately. u__u Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter~! OH. AND BTW. WHO'S GOING TO YOUMACON???? Okay, who even knows what Youmacon IS? D:

* * *

It wasn't until after Matsuda had said that the children could come in when he realized that they weren't even supposed to let them inside of the building. L didn't want them to see the Christmas-themed decorations until everything was ready, and the detective could greet the children for himself—Matsuda knew that this was his one chance to shine, and there was no way in hell that he was going to screw up and let L down now. Not a chance in hell.

"Who wants to get ice cream?" he cheerily asked. The sound of distant car-horns was his only response.

"I don't know if this is some kind of shitty joke, but we have to go inside and help _Ryuzaki _on a case, not stand outside and fucking deal with idiots like you," Mello said, crossing his arms as he took a step forward and leered at Matsuda with piercing blue eyes. "So fucking _move_ it."

Just as Matsuda was about to resort to showing everybody how he had memorized the soundtrack and dances from 'The Sound of Music,' he was saved. Apparently, Misa-Misa had been let off of her room-leash to allow her to help entertain the children, and the bubbly blonde came bounding the stairs that led out of the building, jumping on to Matsuda's back in excitement.

"Hello there, Matsu-chan!" she giggled, red-painted nails reaching up to curiously touch her pouted lips. "Who are these little kids? I like the white one the best, he reminds me of a stuffed sheep that I used to have when I was an itsy-bitsy little girl!"

"We're not fucking_ kids_," snarled Mello, glaring at the girl who was now cowering behind Mogi. "Who the fuck are you, anyways? Is this some kind of fucking freak show?"

"Mello, you shouldn't swear so much. You just met these people," Matt said quietly, seeming much shyer than usual as he nervously eyed the crowd of adults in front of them. "It's not polite…"

Near realized how nervous Matt must have been, so he cautiously grabbed on to Mello's arm and pulled the blonde back behind his small frame, deciding that they should probably have more social classes taught at Wammy's. He had studied how to politely introduce himself, of course, and it seemed that he was the only one who was remotely well-suited for this particular situation. Mello was too pissed to be dealing with people, and apparently, Matt had some sort of stranger-phobia. It wasn't surprising, considering that the only people he really talked to were Mello and himself, and the children were rarely allowed to leave the orphanage.

"Hello Amane-san, my name is Near," Near said, switching to speaking Japanese as he wondered which language the Japanese pop idol was more comfortable with. "Which does Amane-san prefer to speak, Japanese or English?"

"I like speaking English, Near-chan!" she said cutely, giving him a large hug and causing the small boy to stiffen up. "It's just…so much cooler that Japanese, don'tcha think?"

She then pulled away and modeled her shirt which read, "Love Idol Baby Shine" in the English alphabet, apparently very proud of the fact she was wearing something that was made in China, shipped to the United States for over-priced sales, and then shipped back to Japan especially for her. How typical of a girl…not that Near thought it to be sexist, of course, but even the girls at the orphanage were that way. Only concerned about trivial things like appearance and what others thought of them.

"We have an appointment to meet with Ryuzaki," Near said, reaching a thin arm up and twirling a lock of hair around his index finger. "It is crucial that we meet with Ryuzaki as soon as possible, as we must discuss the case's details in order to solve it as quickly and efficiently as possible."

"Well, um, you see," Aizawa coughed, still looking stupidly at the three of them. "You can't go in right now; Ryuzaki is um…reviewing some of the case that isn't appropriate for children your age."

The three boys gave him disbelieving looks, urging him to tell them exactly what it was that L was reviewing that was 'inappropriate' for their age.

"Well, this case is a rape-homicide…" he said, looking at the other men for backup. "The victim was raped and then killed gorily, and all of the pictures of the body even made _me_ squeamish."

"That is tame compared to cases we have had to solve in the past," said Near, finger yanking harder on his curl as the word 'rape' was spoken.

All of the people outside stared at the three of them, each teen boy shrugging their shoulders in turn. At Wammy's, if they proved themselves, they were allowed to work on cases from inside the orphanage. Field agents were hired by the children, who were given an investigation budget—it was like everything else in their lives, nothing more than a game.

"I have solved the case of a pedophile who kidnapped young boys, solicited them for sex, and once they were dry and bodies battered beyond belief, he would take them back to his house and slowly dismember them alive. Once they were dead, or close to it; he would put them in the oven, bake them, and eat them," Near said, looking up at the group of adults blankly. "Besides, I highly doubt that Ryuzaki would invite us to help him solve a case we could not see."

"Damn straight, so move the hell out of the way," Mello hissed, rolling his eyes as he sucked air in through his teeth. "We have to go in there, help _Ryuzaki_ solve the case, and then go back to W—"

"Our house," Matt interrupted, stepping up. "We have to go back home."

"Nuh-uh, Misa-Misa knows that you're orphans!" Misa giggled, pulling Matt into a hug this time. "Aw, little-boy-chan, is that your natural hair color? And why are you wearing goggles? Is that a gameboy? Hey, you're wearing black and white stripes, and each of your brothers is dressed in either white or black! Did you notice that? Are you Ryuzaki's kids? Or are you his brothers?"

"We're _Ryuzaki's _brothers…" grumbled Mello, hating have to lie so much. They had been told to say that they were L's brothers, and they had been specifically told that they had to call him 'Ryuzaki' instead of L, even though Mello hated how that sounded on his tongue.

"Blondie-chan, why do you always say Ryuzaki's name like that?" Misa asked, beginning to play with Mello's golden locks. "And what shampoo do you use, your hair is so silky-soft! Are you as smart as your brother? Oh, I have an idea! Why don't we go inside, so you can see him! I'll bet you've missed him, haven't you?"

With that, Misa magically grabbed all three boys with only two hands and dragged them inside of the task force headquarters, leaving the other policemen in a daze outside of the building. What…had just happened?

~*~*~

When Mello, Near, and Matt were dragged into the headquarters, their jaws dropped. In the main room, there was tinsel, mistletoe, and bright, colored lights galore. It was only a scene that they had before seen in picture books and on the television, and as wide eyes traveled across the glittering and dim room, Light and L made their way down the stairs to place the last of the presents underneath the GIANT tree. However, the children didn't even notice the tree as they continued to ponder how L had gotten so much fake snow and red velvet everywhere, but then it hit Mello.

"Wait a minute, what about the fucking case?" he asked, shaking his head as the giant tree caught his eye.

"Hello," L said, peeking out from behind the tree as he placed the last present down. "I am glad to see that the three of you were able to make it."

"L?" they chimed out in unison, observing the fact that he did not have on a _white_ long-sleeved shirt, but a _red_ long-sleeved shirt.

"Hello," he repeated, walking over to the three of them and dragging Light behind him. "You three look…much bigger than the last time I saw you."

"Yeah, well, why the FUCK do you think that is?" Mello yelled angrily, upset about one too many things at the moment. "You never visit us, you never even have the fucking decency to fucking _call _once in a while, and you never have any-fucking-thing to DO with us! You fucking swore that you'd be at my goddamn birthday this year, I worked all fucking year for that!"

His voice grew louder with every syllable until it finally cracked and broke, and the blonde sniffled a few times, Matt not even lecturing him on his swearing this time. Misa and the rest of the taskforce left the room, deciding that now was more of a 'family matter' and that they shouldn't get involved. Light would have done the same, but he was kind of chained to L, so that pretty much cut out running like hell. He wished that his dad was here, instead of on his vacation to spend some quality time with Sayu and his mom.

"Mello…I…"

"I don't wanna…hear your excuses, L," Matt said, stepping in front of the blonde that was now choking back tears. "You didn't call, you never made any sort of _attempt_ to come to Mello's birthday party, and that upset him, okay? So…don't even start with that apologizing stuff, because I—no, WE don't want to hear it."

"Matt does have a point," said Near, gently touching Mello's arm without making any sort of eye contact with the blonde. "I think that we were all a bit upset when L did not manage to…keep in touch. After all, L is the closest thing to a father that any of us have."

Those words affected L deeply, and the detective finally realized exactly how much he had let these children down. They…they thought of him as a father, as a role model, and what did he do? For them, the answer would be nothing.

Ever-so-slowly, L leaned forward and hunched down so that he was at about eye level with the two boys in front, Matt and Near, protecting Mello from any more emotional pain they were sure he was going to cause. However, instead of saying anything, the man just timidly opened his arms and signaled for them to give him a hug. It was Matt who first moved forward, wrapping his arms hesitantly around the raven-haired man's thin torso. Near followed a moment later, and then Mello, and much to the boy's disbelief, they were having a family hug with L.

After another few seconds of warmth and comfort, they pulled away, and L turned towards the gigantic Christmas tree, gesturing to the box of decorations that rested at the bottom. Small lips were graced with even smaller smiles as they looked at him, each trying to hide from the other that they were secretly happy to be there with each other, and L, and everything from the past couple days was forgiven for the moment.

"Would the three of you like to decorate the tree with Light and I?" L asked, nervously nibbling on his thumbnail as he awaited their answer.

In turn, each boy nodded, making their way over to the box that rested below the large tree. Over the next few hours, the five of them spent the time talking and decorating, occasionally being brought cookies by Matsuda or sweets by Misa, only glad that L seemed to have the natural ability to disintegrate their tension like it hadn't even existed in the first place. However, before they knew it, it was late and time to get ready to eat the Christmas dinner that L had prepared—with the help of Misa and Matsuda, of course. After they were done with that, Near was exhausted, and the small boy lay in front of the Christmas tree. He curled himself up in a blanket and fell to sleep, Mello lying down next to him, but far away enough that he could claim he was not really _purposely _sleeping next to the small boy, of course. After he was sure they had both fallen asleep, Matt nudged Mello closer to Near, then going to lie on the other side of the small boy and wrapping his arm loosely around the both of them. It…had been a good Christmas Eve after all, despite what he had originally thought.

Pleasant thoughts filling his head, Matt quickly drifted off to sleep, soothed by the tension-less air and the thoughts of tomorrow's Christmas.

---_The next morning, Christmas_---

"Good morning," L said, voice barely being registered by groggy ears.

"Mhn…" Matt groaned, slowly fluttering goggled eyes opened and seeing L leaning over the three of them, a small green plant in one hand and a stack of videotapes in the other.

It was a second before Matt realized what the tapes were—the tapes from the camcorder back at Wammy's. L…had them. He could have seen some of what they did, what happened, did he _know _what had been going on lately?

"Are those…?" asked Mello, voice cracking as he rubbed his eyes and attempted to sit up and grab at the tapes.

"We watched them," Light confessed, feeling slightly bad as he saw the mortified looks spread themselves across three faces. "Really…erm…it's not as bad as you guys thought it was, or anything…I mean…the whole task force watched them, after all."

Before they had time to yell at Light or L for doing this to them, L was handing the tapes to Light and dangling the small green plant over the three tousled-haired heads. It took a second, but Near was the first to recognize the green growth, a strawberry blush covering his face as he parted his suddenly-dry lips.

"Mistletoe."

* * *

**End Note: **That case that Near mentioned, with the pedophile…it's a real case. : l

But anyways, CAN YOU TELL WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN NEXT??? CAN YOU?

~FragilePuzzle


	32. Together

**A/N and HYPE TIEM: **HURHUR FUCKK YEAH. Dude, THIS is the chapter you have read so far for. THIS is the chapter you have waited upon, reading crappy update after crappy update just to reach this point. I just wanted to let you guys know that I love you for that, and I actually know all of my reviewers by name. XD

BUT REVIEW, AND YES I AM DEMANDING THIS, BECAUSE I'M ON MY PERIOD AND THAT GIVES ME AN EXCUSE TO BE A BITCH. :D

*dies of cramp pains*

* * *

"Mistletoe."

Near tried to scoot away as soon as he realized what L was implying, but neither Mello nor Matt knew what to do besides try and stop him. They grabbed one of his arms in each of theirs, pulling him back towards him and keeping him in place, under the mistletoe, an even darker blush creeping slowly across his face. This…what was L trying to do? Did he really want a dead successor, because Near was truthfully about to die of embarrassment.

"L, what the fuck is that?" asked Mello, hand squeezing slightly tighter around Near's arm as his blue eyes traced over the plant. "Is that…really mistletoe?"

L nodded.

"Well why the fuck are you waking us up to fucking m-mistletoe over our heads?" the blonde asked, trying to disguise his nervous stutter with an obviously fake cough. "W-what's THAT supposed to imply, I mean, really, what the hell are you trying to do, get Near molested again or something, I mean—"

"Are you forgetting that we have watched the tapes?" asked the detective, shaking the mistletoe again. "We have long ago realized your feelings for each other, and now all that's left to do is for the three of you to admit to them, is it not?"

All three boys blushed and stuttered stupid and fake excuses, trying to bring up an argument or some sort of fallacy in L's logic, but they could not find any…they really had no excuses now. Now that L had watched the tapes, now that their feeling were so obvious and exposed to people other than themselves, to people who were not clouded with their judgment, not so blinded by their own feelings that they were insensitive to each other's. This was it.

"If you do not want to take this opportunity now, I can guarantee you that I have use for this mistletoe," L smirked, gently tugging on the chain that connected him to Light. "You may either take advantage of the situation…or go back to Wammy's, continue to hate each other for faults and crimes you have only imagined, and leave the feelings that you hold for each other buried deep within yourselves."

Near made no move to, well, move, but Mello and Matt saw the opportunity for it was, and they definitely did not want to waste it. So, timidly and slowly, they leaned over and each placed a light kiss on each of Near's baby-soft cheeks, pulling away a second later. They were both blushing like mad, not even bothering to try and stutter excuses anymore…which meant they must have been REALLY embarrassed. However, Near didn't say anything, he only calmly pressed a hand to each cheek, trying to soothe the furious and hot red. The smallest of the three looked up at L, now hoping that he would be freed from this derogatory torture, but no. L just shook the plant over his head of fluffy white curls, gesturing that he had to kiss one of them as well. This was…both the worst and the best moment of his life. At least, if it didn't go as planned, he could blame it on L and the fucking sprig of mistletoe.

Near turned to Mello first, deciding that the blonde deserved it after what he had been though. The albino wanted to give his kisses equally…even though he knew that he couldn't. However, now was not the time to think about that—he probably should have been focusing on his pale lips that were moving closer to Mello's own. Finally, they awkwardly touched, and Mello's slightly chapped lips were touching his. Now he could feel his heart pounding in his _temples_ of all things, and the world seemed to stop as he pressed back fiercer.

However, what really surprised him was when he felt Matt's hands wrap around his torso, and the redhead's lips by his ear. What…was he doing? Near could feel the slightest of nibbles, and he couldn't help it as a small gasp slipped past his pale lips. The three of them were timid as they moved away from each other and stood up, none of them being able to make eye contact with L as the detective pointed up the stairs.

"The bedrooms are on the top floor," he said, gesturing for them to run along. Matt didn't even have time to question L's parental techniques before he was dragged off by Mello, the three of them arriving in an empty guest bedroom in no time. It was plain, sure, but the king-sized bed would do for now.

"T-This is ridiculous…" muttered Near, twirling his hair around his index finger even more furiously than he had been earlier. "H-how is this s-supposed to—"

"Don't worry about it," Mello said, apparently a lot less nervous, if the way he smirked and sat down, eyeing the two other completely awkward and nervous boys. "C'mere…"

The blonde beckoned Near over, pulling the small boy into his lap so the both of them were facing Matt, who was still unsure exactly _what_ it was that he should do. When he made an attempt to step forward, and to go towards the bed, Mello just held his hand out and stopped him dead.

"Wait a minute, Matty," he cooed, readjusting Near on his lap as he began to run his hands up the small boy's shirt. "I want you to watch, for a minute."

Mello slipped his hands up Near's shirt, roughly pinching the white-haired boy's nipples and smirking as he watched Matt's expression change to one of longing as he was forced watch Near's face contort in a cute attempt to hold back his moan. Really, you wouldn't think that people could look cute when they were _contorting_ their faces, but Near managed…not that Matt was surprised, of course. However, as the redhead watched Mello unbutton Near's shirt—a bit too slowly for his tastes, considering that he just wanted to go over there and fucking rip it off and fuck the both of them raw—but the redhead didn't know just how much _sexier_ it was when it was in real life, rather than a videogame. Porn would just never be the same again, even if all he got to do was watch.

"Matty, watch this," Mello whispered, smile growing even wider as Near's shirt opened to expose his chest. Slowly, he began to rub Near's hard nipples, ample hands causing a moan to fall from the smaller boy's lips as he brought his mouth to the sensitive flesh of Near's neck. Matt couldn't deny how hard he was now, and Near's continually growing whimpers were not helping, and neither was watching Mello suck on Near's exposed neck until he bit down and brought the blood to the surface, leaving a purple mark that he was apparently quite satisfied with.

"Mels, I—"

"Matty, can't you be patient?" asked Mello, one hand moving to Near's mouth as the other moved to the waistband of his baggy pajama pants. "Just wait a minute, I promise that you'll like what you see, and I want to do something…"

With that, Mello slipped three fingers into Near's small mouth, effectively filling the hot orifice. The redhead's eyes watched intently as Near's eyes slipped shut, small mewls and whimpers still slipping past Mello's fingers. Green eyes widened slightly, hazy with lust as Mello's free hand made its way down Near's chest, slipping the small boy's pants down and revealing the fact that the boy wasn't wearing underwear. Just what Matt needed—something to turn him on further. God, and the way Mello was pretending to be a little sadistic seme, running his hands up and down Near's chest like that…Matt wanted nothing more than to go over there and show Mello just how uke he really was, but the blonde had forbidden him to move—and who was he to lie and say that he didn't follow the blonde's every command? The only time he would take the situation into his own hands was when Mello actually allowed him to touch him, but for now, he just had to await his master's beckoning.

"Look at how hard he is…" whispered Mello, Near's pants now down around his knees as the smallest boy continued to be mouth-fucked by Mello's fingers. "It feels really good to have him sweaty and squirming like this, Matty…he's so _hot_…"

As Mello grabbed on to Near's erection, rubbing his thumb along the slit that was dripping pre-cum, lips curving into a smirk as Near moaned and whimpered, Matt only groaned and took a deep breath. God, he wanted to go over there and fucking _touch_ them, NOW. However, there was also a part of him that loved watched Mello make Near squirm, and he couldn't help but stare as Mello began to pump Near. The small boy moaned and bucked and squirmed, lips parting as he realized how much better it felt when somebody else was touching him, rather than him touching himself.

"M-Mello!" Near cried, Mello smirking as he gave another particularly hard squeeze to the smaller boy's erection. That was it—it looked like Near was about to cum, and Matt didn't want him to cum without being able to touch him at all himself. That just wouldn't do, so he disobeyed Mello and walked across the room, grabbing Mello's arms and pulling them away from Near. He pushed the blonde back onto the bed, grinding their hips together and pressing a hungry kiss to his lips. Unsurprisingly, Mello's mouth tasted like chocolate, a taste that Matt decided went well with the vanilla that accented Near's tiny pink tongue.

"You're not seme…" grinned Matt, straddling Mello's chest as he pinned the blonde's arms above his head. "You and Near are both _my _ukes…so why don't you behave and stop struggling? You know you _like_ being so dominated, Mello. You don't have to pretend like you don't, we all have our secret _desires_."

Matt crashed his lips against Mello's once again, swallowing the blonde's protests as he began to thrust his tongue in and out of Mello's hot mouth roughly, internally bursting with joy as he realized that Mello was giving in. He was going to be seme to both of them, oh Jesus god, why the hell was he focusing on that when he could be touching them? How fucking slow WAS he?

"Take your shirt off, Mello," demanded Matt, sadistic smile gracing his usually kind face as he watched the blonde boy squirm underneath him. "You shouldn't have teased Near so much…you just denied him orgasm, you naughty boy…looks like you'll have to be punished, hm? Maybe Near will deny _you_ orgasm, would you like that, Mello? If he took your cock into his hot mouth and sucked you until you _almost_ came, and then you'd have to watch ME make Near cum?"

"N-ngh, f-fuck, Matt," Mello groaned, the combination of the other boy's hips grinding against his as well as his words making the blonde become even more turned on then he had been. "F-fucking sadist…g-god…"

"Fucking masochist," was the redhead's retort, Matt still grinding their hips together as he continued to chuckle. "You like it when I talk dirty to you. Look at how hard you are. Mm, GOD Mels, you got any blood left in your head anymore?"

"M-mhnaa!" whimpered Near, having been ignored for too long, now that he was turned on. He wasn't even embarrassed at the fact that he had taken his own pants off, tossing them on the floor, spread his legs, and began to masturbate. He was too far past the point of caring, now that his curls were plastered to his forehead with sweat, and he was excitedly playing with the tip of his erection. Pale lips opened in more silent cries as he used his free hand to move up to his chest and rub his own nipples, drinking in his own touch like a wanton whore.

However, just as he was about to cause himself to cum, Matt was the one who denied him orgasm this time, Near's body still shuddering and quivering in anticipation. Thin legs spread further, and Near whimpered as Matt grabbed his hands and pulled them away. Unh, it hurt so _badly_, and it just felt so good when he touched it, why was Matt making him stop?

"Don't cum yet…" whispered Matt, pulling off Near's socks and tossing them on to the floor as well. "You're not going to make yourself cum, that's my job."

Now that all three boys were delirious with lust and want, mostly Near, what with him having been denied orgasm twice already. Matt from the prospect of fucking both boys until they screamed, and Mello because he was becoming more and more aroused with every dirty-sounding word that came out of his best-friend-turned-lover's mouth, and watching Near jack off had it's good points as well.

"Strip," Matt demanded, taking off his own goggles so he could see Mello and Near more clearly. "All of it."

Near was easily compliant, as he was practically nauseous with lust at this point, and the smallest of the three was sitting up against the headboard, completely naked within seconds. However, Mello had apparently gained some of his sass back, because he didn't move so much as a muscle. Thin lips curved into a smirk as blue eyes rose to meet green, but Matt couldn't help but laugh. Mello never changed…he still thought that he was going to top, no questions asked. Well, Matt disagreed. No matter how much he denied it, Mello was fucking uke—maybe seme to Near, but he'd be damned if the blonde got the best of him. The only way that would happen was with heavy bondage, and Matt doubted there was any of that in here…but then again, L and whoever the fuck was chained to him—Light Imagay, his boyfriend or something…whatever that chain was for had to be something kinky.

"Mello, Mello…you're just begging for me to rip your clothes off of you, aren't you? You want to be punished, don't you? Fucking naughty boy," Matt whispered, crawling over towards Mello, but cutting off Near's ignored whimpers by grabbing on to his erection and giving it a rough squeeze. "Well, you know what? I think I've got a reward for you, more than a punishment…get behind Near. Set him in your lap…first fucking strip, now."

Shivering slightly at Matt's sadistic tone, Mello finally did as he was commanded, stripping until he was completely naked and sitting behind Near. He adjusted himself until the small boy was comfortable in his lap, and then two pairs of lust-glazed eyes stared at Matt, waiting for his command.

Slowly, Matt crawled in between Near's spread legs, not breaking eye contact with the smallest boy. Game-adept hands traced down his chest, taking a few moments to stimulate his nipples before tracing their way down his sides and to his hips, digging his nails into the sensitive flesh there and causing Near to whimper with a small bit of pain. However, those whimpers of pain quickly turned to ones of helpless pleasure as Mello began to run his tongue up and down the sensitive flesh that covered his neck, and Matt's hands moved down to the soft inner flesh of his thighs, caressing it and massaging it until his ministrations caused Near to shiver with pleasure.

"Near, you're so warm…" whispered Matt, moving his hand from Near's erection to his cheek, rubbing it as one would do to a baby. "And you're dripping so much pre-cum…are you all ready to cum? Do you want me to make you cum? Can I make you feel good, Near?"

Near whimpered and nodded helplessly, gray eyes squeezed shut tightly as he tried to gain some sort of friction. However, Matt did nothing but smear his hand in some of the pre-cum dripping from Near's slit, experimentally rubbing it against his fingers before beginning to suck it off each digit, Near only moaning softly as his body strained for release.

"You taste so sweet…" murmured the redhead, rubbing his spit-slickened fingers softly against Near's bottom lip.

Matt began to softly kiss down Near's chest, taking a moment to suck at each of his pale pink nipples, earning a few more moans and shivers. He made his way down to Near's pulsing erection, taking a few tentative licks, eliciting a particularly loud moan as he took the head into his mouth and gave it a harsh suck. He could tell that Near was going to cum soon, his orgasm already long overdue, and just the way that he bucked and shivered beneath him told Matt he was nearly ready. However, that didn't stop the redhead from letting Near choke him on his cock, not even bothering to try and force his hips down as he thrust up into Matt's hot mouth. The pit of fire in his stomach was too much to bear, god, Matt's mouth was just so hot and the way that Mello rubbed his nipples and nibbled at his earlobe, he was going to cum—!

Suddenly, just before he was about to climax, Near was denied orgasm for the third time. Matt pulled away, Near letting out a frustrated staccato moan as he lolled his head back against Mello's shoulder, body still quivering as he waited to be gifted the thing he wanted so badly.

"Near, lie on your back with your legs spread…just like that," Matt whispered, rubbing Near's chest and thighs comfortingly as he watched the boy lay down on his back. "Now just try and relax, let me and Mello make you feel good, okay?"

Near nodded, eyes hazed over with want as Mello positioned himself in between his spread legs, the blonde holding three fingers up to his lips.

"Suck on Mello's fingers…" whispered Matt, stroking the smaller boy's hair, treating him like he were about to break. "That's good…just like that…I promise that we won't hurt you…good boy…"

Matt watched intently as Near sucked on Mello's fingers, coating them with a layer of warm saliva as his eyelids fluttered, ebony black eyelashes brushing against ivory white skin. He couldn't stand the thought of anybody else but he and Mello touching him—he was just too pure, too adorable, so much so that Matt couldn't resist beginning to suck on his swollen nipples again. Near moaned around Mello's fingers, body squirming underneath the two other boys, his body now screaming for something to be done about his painful erection.

"P-please…" he whispered, Mello having removed his fingers from the smaller boy's mouth. "A-ah, p-please…!"

The blonde quickly slipped two of his fingers into Near's entrance, surprising the virgin boy and making him mewl out in pain. Matt moved his mouth to Near's, swallowing his moans and cries of pain, pulling away every few seconds to whisper soft words of reassurance in the smaller boy's ear as Mello continued to scissor his fingers. Slipping another finger into him, Mello desperately wanted to be inside of the tight heat that was clenching and squeezing around his digits, and he wanted it that much more when he brushed up against Near's prostate, eliciting a delicious reaction from the small boy. He arched his back and bucked his torso into the air, rolling his hips to try and get Mello go to in deeper.

"Does it feel good, Near?" whispered the redhead, capturing Near's lips in another deep kiss. "Let us make you feel good, okay? I promise that we won't hurt you…"

Near nodded, and Mello positioned the tip of his erection at the boy's tight entrance, sheathing himself in one thrust. They both groaned loudly, faces flushing as lips parted in more wanton cries. However, Matt crawled behind Mello as the blonde was holding still and waiting for Near to adjust, rubbing his own clothed erection against the blonde's backside.

"M-Matty, p-please, don't s-stretch m-me…" Mello begged, wiggling his ass slightly. "G-go in now…"

Matt quickly slipped his own clothes off, tossing them on to the floor and freeing his erection that had gone past the point of painful a long time ago. He rubbed the pre-cum dripping out of the slit down his shaft, making sure he prepared Mello, even if just a little bit. Slowly, he eased himself into Mello, groaning as he was enveloped by the blonde's tightness. It felt so good…oh god, he wanted to move now, but Mello's pained cries were telling him to wait.

Near weakly reached his hand up from where it had been resting on the bed before, placing it against Mello's cheek and rubbing the pad of his thumb along the blonde's jaw, trying to ease the pain just a little bit. Placing butterfly kisses up and down his spine, Matt tried to get Mello to relax by shifting himself slightly—however, he ended up brushing against Mello's sweet spot, the blonde letting out a weak moan as Near urged him in further.

"Please…move…" Near's voice cracked, eyes closing with pleasure as Mello brushed up against his prostate again. "P-Please…"

Mello went to comply, but all he had to do was keep his arms that were holding him up from collapsing as Matt began to move, slamming him into the white-haired boy lying beneath them. Near's lips parted to let out yet another loud moan as Matt began to pound into the both of them, Mello trying to stifle his groans in Near's shoulder and overall failing as their sweet chorus of cries hit Matt's ears. Oh god, Near didn't remember if he knew how to breathe or not, small lungs desperately gasping for air around high-pitched moans and cries of the two other boy's names. Pleasure rolled through his body with every thrust, and his cock was rubbing between his and Mello's chests, only furthering his stimulation as he tried not to cum right then and there. He wanted this to last as long as it could, it felt so good, Mello inside of him and Matt inside of Mello, and the three of them were just so close.

Surprisingly, it was not Near that came first, it was Mello. The blonde exploded his cum into Near's entrance, not being able to take the mind-numbing pleasure that was Matt slamming into him from behind and filling Near at the same time. With a groan that tore itself from his throat, Mello tightened around Matt, the redhead still refusing to cum as he continued to slam into the tightness that was Mello. Near moaned louder and louder, cries of their names becoming more heated until finally, he came as well, spurting cum all over his and Mello's chest. Insisting on taking a few more shaky thrusts before coming, Matt buried his seed deep into Mello, the blonde letting out one last gasp as the hot liquid burned his insides.

Slowly, Matt eased himself out of Mello, lying down and watching as Mello removed himself from Near. The three of them lay on the bed, Near in between Mello and Matt, the three of them finally together after all of what they had gone through in the last year. However…Near started to cry. It was a strange sight indeed, seeing Near cry…

"Near, what's wrong?" Matt asked, Mello beginning to stroke his curls. "Did we do something you didn't want to?"

"I-I do n-not feel...a-as though I-I am s-splitting m-my love…e-evenly…" he sniffled, eyes opening slightly as he looked up at the both of them. "I-If I only have one h-heart to give, i-it is simply not possible t-to give both M-Mello and Matt my whole heart—"

"Fuck the rules," whispered Mello, pressing a kiss to Near's shoulder. "All that matters is now, you hear?"

"We've never been too worried about that, Near. It doesn't…it doesn't matter to me what size piece of your heart I have…even if it's only grain-sized, I'm fine with that. Now, stop worrying so much and go to sleep…you look exhausted."

"Nate," was all the white-haired boy said, looking at each of them once again. "N-Nate River."

"Mihael Keehl…"

"And Mail Jeevas. This is who we are now, not Mello and Near and Matt. We're Mihael and Nate and Mail. Don't worry Nate, they aren't the same people…Nate and Mihael aren't rivals, and they don't know about anything that happened back at Wammy's, or anything that's going to happen from now on. Mihael and Nate and Mail only live in the perfect moments like this, so don't you worry about a thing," Matt breathed, stroking Near's hair as the small boy slowly slipped off to sleep.

"What's going to happen to us now, Matt?" Mello asked, voice practically silent as Near's breathing evened to that of somebody who was resting. "We can't…"

"I know, Mello. I know."

"But—"

"I…I don't have the answers to that. We have to go wherever fate takes us."

"I love you…Mail."

"As do I," Near whispered, gray eyes fluttering open for the merest of moments as he looked up at the redhead with tired eyes.

"And I love you too, Nate, Mihael…" smiled Matt, pressing a soft kiss to each of their sweaty foreheads. "Don't you ever forget that, okay?"

"I love you, Mihael," whispered Near.

"I love you too, Nate."

"Goodnight…" murmured Matt, pulling the two other boys closer, just feeling the heat, smelling the three of them in the air. They were intertwined by a bond deeper than death, more important than existence itself, and nothing could possibly change that.

_Not even the cruel hand that Lady Fate dealt them…death is never the end of love. It cannot die._

* * *

**End Note: **HOHOHOHO. FAIL LEMON INDEED. God…I know what you're thinking. 'It took her THAT long to get ONE goddamn lemon out?' XD Oh, and BTW? Sorry if there are any grammar mistakes or anything, I was watching the Matrix while I was writing this. That movie is fucking BEAST, I don't care what anybody says. I LOVE the Matrix. Fucking LOVE it. God, that movie is SO FUCKING BEAST. You totally need to watch the trilogy if you haven't already.

~FragilePuzzle


	33. Finis

**A/N: **Last chapter…*sniffles* Ah, who am I kidding. It's time to KILL THIS BITCH. MWAHAHA. God DAMN, I can't even explain how happy I am now that this is FINALLY done. XD

* * *

Near stood in front of the two graves, the once innocent and small boy corrupted by the evil of this world. However, he was no longer Near. That small and emotionless little boy was only a shadow of what he was feeling right now.

Soft white snow fell around him, the cold flakes hitting his bare skin one by one, each tiny shock of cold sending shivers through his body. Slowly, he fell to his knees, the cloth of his thin white pajama pants becoming quickly wet with the melting snow underneath him.

"Mihael Keehl…Mail Jeevas…" he whispered, his voice cracking as he traced his fingers over the elegantly carved names. "Mello…Matt…"

Near felt as though he was blending in with the snow, as if nobody would notice him, even if he screamed as loud as he could. He was suffering in the muffled silence of the quiet blanket, the small graveyard completely desolate and void of any trace of life besides him.

"Please…" he whispered, lowering his head as if to hide his tears from somebody unknown. "Why…?"

His small body began to shake with silent sobs, not even noticing the cold of the snow anymore. His body was becoming just as numb as he had tried to make his heart. The feeling of being all alone was such a painful one. Why must he be forced to suffer like this…? Was it punishment for something he did? Near couldn't understand what he did to deserve this of all things. Mello and Matt were the only ones who meant anything to him…why did they have to be so painfully ripped away?

"Why would Mello and Matt leave me?" he hiccupped, curling himself up into a ball. "I could care less about…Kira…"

Near lay down in the snow, the cold substance enveloping his tiny frame. It worried him that he couldn't feel the cold anymore, but that was one of the last things on his mind. All he wanted to do was be as close to Mello and Matt…or what was left of them.

As more tears made their way down his cheeks, he could feel the moist tracks begin to freeze to his pale cheeks in the absolute cold. Near could feel the snowflakes begin to freeze to his wet eyelashes, forming tiny shimmering jewels, the weight making him close his eyes.

So, so alone.

Thoughts ran through his mind as he felt his body relax, the cold overcoming his every muscle and nerve and making it impossible to move. He began to shake less and less, each shiver taking too much energy. The cold worked its way into his insides, slowly freezing everything, his heart slowly losing its ability to pump blood. Near still did not notice.

"I…I love Mello and Matt…" he whispered, his freezing cold lips barely parting as he opened his eyes once again.

It was so cold…he couldn't feel anything as snow began to fall more steadily, covering his small frame with a light dusting…soon enough, that light dusting became more of a blanket…but Near still did not notice. All he was paying attention to was how close he must be to Mello and Matt.

Finally, Near felt tired…he was so tired…all he wanted to do was close his eyes for a small while. Rester and Gevanni would be back any moment to wake him up. Onyx-gray eyes slowly slipped closed as his body shut down, no longer shivering. All he felt was peace and emptiness.

"Near…" he heard a voice whisper in his ear. "Near, wake up…"

Near slowly fluttered his eyes open, seeing Mello, Matt standing right behind the blonde. Ever-so-weakly, he reached out a hand, as if to try and grab them, to reassure himself that they were actually there, and not just a figment of his imagination. All he wanted to do was touch them, after all these years.

"Near…will you come with us?" Matt asked, his voice sounding much deeper than the last time the small boy had seen him. "We've missed you…"

The redhead pulled back his goggles, letting them rest on the top of his head as he exposed the same bright green eyes that Near had grown to love so much. Both older boys kneeled down next to him, Mello gently tugging on his hand, as if to help him up. Matt walked over to the other side of him, taking his small hand in his larger one, holding it securely and helping him up to his feet.

"Near, will you come with us?" they both asked, each hanging on to one of his hands.

"How are…Mello and Matt still alive?" he asked, his head spinning.

"We'll tell you when we get there…" whispered Mello, giving his hand a small squeeze.

Near nodded, looking at each of them in turn. He was so happy to just be back with the two of them, he couldn't even attempt to explain the bursting feeling that was exploding itself in his chest. It was the first time since that night at the Japanese Task Force Headquarters when he had been so truly happy...he had missed them so much, they hadn't been together since that night, but here they were...reunited once again.

"I missed Mello and Matt…" he whispered.

"We missed you too, Near."

With that, Mello and Matt led him out of the graveyard, not letting the small boy turn around and see what rested by their graves. They didn't want him to see his dead body that was resting in the cold, cold snow, covered by a blanket of the pure white.

Silence was the only thing that echoed out as Near died in the graveyard, freezing to death next to the two people he loved most.

* * *

**End Note/ Final Goodbye: **I just wanted to add on this little chapter, just so you guys know that there really was a happy ending. Well, the story is over, and I hoped you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it (for the most part)!

Over and out, and I hope to see you next story!

~FragilePuzzle


End file.
